The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, has announced that this year the province will complete 1460 development projects valued at 590 billion rupees. During a post-budget press conference, he strongly condemned the recent Israeli attack on Iran, labeling it as an act of terrorism. Shah expressed his disapproval at a press conference held at the Chief Minister’s House in Karachi.

In the press conference, Murad Ali Shah highlighted the provincial government’s achievements and challenges. He revealed that the federal government had reduced the expected financial transfers by 105 billion rupees just a day before the budget announcement, impacting the provincial allocations. Despite these financial challenges, the Sindh government has presented a budget of 3.45 trillion rupees for the coming fiscal year.

Specifically, the budget includes a record 1460 schemes for development projects to be completed this year, which is a significant increase from 603 last year. The development budget alone stands at one trillion rupees, contingent on the full transfer of promised funds from the federal government.

CM Shah also highlighted an increase in non-development expenditures, including significant allocations for sectors such as salaries, pensions, and health and education, which have seen increases of 18% and 11% respectively. Notably, the education sector will receive an increase in development funding.

Responding to concerns raised by a major newspaper about the lack of major projects for Karachi, Shah clarified that 236 billion rupees have been allocated for the city, including several public-private partnership projects that are not listed under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). These include key infrastructure developments like the Port Connectivity Road, valued at 45 billion rupees.

In response to criticism about the absence of “mega projects,” CM Shah explained the strategic decision to abandon the term “mega” due to a shortage of engineers required to initiate such large-scale projects. He assured that significant schemes, including major road projects and bridge constructions, are well underway.

At the end of the press conference, CM Shah reiterated the provincial government’s firm commitment to progress and governance despite financial and political challenges.