Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired the 46th meeting of the PPP Policy Board, where several important projects were approved, including the 17storey NED Science and Technology Park project, the installation of West Karachi Water Recycling ProjectI to supply water to industrial estates, a desalination plant to provide drinking water to DHA and surrounding areas, the sixlane Malir Expressway leading to the Kathore Interchange, and an allocation of Rs2 billion for the GhotkiKandhkot bridge.

The meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s House and attended by provincial ministers: Dr. Azra Pechuho, Zia Lanjar, Sardar Shah, Ali Hassan Zardari, Jam Ikram Dharejo, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and MPAs Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Qasim Soomro, along with other officials, including the Chairman of PandD Najam Shah, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, Secretary of School Education Zahid Abbasi, DG PPP Unit Asad Zamin and several others.

NED Science and Technology Park: The CM was told that the NED Science and Technology Park is being established through a GovernmenttoGovernment (G2G) arrangement with a Kuwaiti company. He noted that he had already approved Rs1.7 billion as provincial government equity for the project.

Following an aeronautical study, the CAA issued an NOC for a building height of 218.3 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) in October 2024. The CM confirmed that any overhead water tank, neon signboard, antenna, or other rooftop structures would not affect aircraft safety.

The CM instructed the PPP Unit to finalize the Concession Agreement by the end of November 2024 and to commence construction. ‘I want the project completed within two years,’ he emphasized. He stated that this would be the first fully integrated Science and Technology Park in Pakistan, located within the premises of NED University Karachi, developed through a PPP model.

The project scope includes constructing a technology park building with three basements and 20 floors. The office spaces in the park will be subleased to technology companies, including large multinationals, SMEs, research companies, and startups. The infrastructure will feature an auditorium, innovative workspaces, highspeed connectivity, research labs, tech incubators, cafes, and more. The CM also mentioned that they would seek Special Technology Zone (STZ) status from the STZA to offer fiscal incentives to tenants.

West Karachi Water Recycling ProjectI: The Kuwaiti company submitted an Expression of Interest (EoI) for a G2G arrangement for the installation and operation of the recycling project. The CM was informed about the company’s extensive experience in wastewater treatment facilities, which would greatly benefit the project’s success.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) will supply recycled water to industries in SITE, ensuring the quality of recycled water meets their requirements. The CM instructed the local government, industries, and PPP Unit to finalize the project with the Kuwaiti company and initiate work promptly.

Malir Expressway Project: The CM was updated that the project will end approximately 500 meters before the existing Kathore interchange on the M9, which currently features a single twolane carriageway. The completion of the sixlane Malir Expressway would create bottlenecks at the twolane Kathore Interchange.

To mitigate these bottlenecks and operational issues, it is crucial to reconstruct, rehabilitate, and widen the Kathore interchange to accommodate the increased traffic volumes without delays. A discussion was held with officials from the National Highway Authority (NHA) – South Zone, and both parties recognized the need to upgrade the interchange in line with the standards of the six new interchanges built on the M9.

The CM approved the appointment of a technical consultant to conduct necessary studies, enabling the local government department to provide the NHA with the required documentation. He directed the local government department to submit a general description, layout plan, and design drawings, along with a Bill of Quantities (BOQ), for the construction and widening of the new Kathore Interchange at M9.

It should be noted that the Malir Expressway (MEW) is a dedicated threelane, highspeed accesscontrolled corridor, representing the largest PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) project in Sindh, stretching approximately 39 km along the Malir River, starting from Korangi Creek Avenue (DHA) and ending at the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M9) near Kathore.

The Malir Expressway, featuring dedicated interchanges, will facilitate quicker access to key real estate developments along the route, significantly reducing the commuting time from Korangi Creek Avenue (DHA) to Superhighway (M9).

Desalination Project: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) is going to initiate a seawater desalination project under a PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) model to supply potable water to the residents of Karachi. During the 40th PPP Policy Board meeting, the project structure was approved, and the process to solicit investors began.

This project will be procured under the DesignBuildFinanceOperateTransfer (DBFOT) model, allowing the private partner to finance it in exchange for availability and variable payments. The private partners are permitted to establish a facility with a higher capacity (up to 46 MGD) to enable surplus capacity sales for bottled water. This strategy aims to significantly reduce the overall tariff and enhance the project’s viability.

A company based in Kuwait has expressed interest in installing the plant. The Chief Minister (CM) approved the GovernmenttoGovernment (G2G) agreement and directed the Local Government, the water board, and the PPP unit to finalize the requirements and initiate the project.

Minister for Planning and Development, Nasir Shah, informed the CM that the DHA authorities were willing to purchase desalinated water.

GhotkiKandhkot Bridge: The CM was informed that construction on the GhotkiKandhkot Bridge began in August 2020. The bridge is 12.2 km long, and 5.87 per cent of the work has been completed. Other progress details include the completion of 10.4 km from Ghotki (50pc completed), 8.34 km from Kandhkot (74pc completed), and 4.5 km from the ThullLink Road (81pc completed).

The overall physical progress stands at 50% for Section I of the Bridge Approach Road at Ghotki, with the structural works for Canal Bridges and Pipe Culverts completed. Construction activities, which were suspended on July 18, 2023, resumed on May 2, 2024.

In Section II, the Indus River Bridge has an aggregate physical progress of 5.87%. To date, 235 out of 729 piles, 216 out of 729 shafts, and 66 out of 244 transoms have been cast within the riverine area.

Minister of Home Affairs, Zia Lanjar, informed the CM that six police pickets have already been handed over to the District Police in Kashmore at Kandhkot. The construction of earthen platforms for the 7th and 8th police pickets is ongoing, and the platform for the Rangers Barrack has been completed. Currently, stone masonry work on the boundary wall is in progress.

For Section III, the aggregate physical progress for the Bridge Approach Road at Kandhkot is 74 per cent. The Asphaltic Base Course on the approach road is 83 per cent complete, and the structural works of Canal Bridges and Pipe Culverts have been completed. The Thull Link Road has achieved 81per cent physical progress.

In response to a question, the CM was informed that the National Highway Authority (NHA) has issued a provisional No Objection Certificate (NOC) to connect the various approaches to N5 (atgrade intersection) and N55 (interchange at the main alignment and the atgrade intersection at the Thul Link Road).

The CM, in consultation with the PPP Policy Board, approved Rs 2 billion for incremental mobilization advances as an additional contribution from the Sindh government’s Viability Gap Funding (VGF).