Karachi:
The Sindh government has expressed strong reservations about what it calls the federal government’s neglect of key development projects in the province, especially Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway, in the newly announced RS17.6 trillion federal budget for the financial year 2025-26.
Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway is not only critical of Sindh, but for the whole country because of its central role in the national trade routes.
“Karachi Port handles imports and exports for the entire Pakistan. There is no viable alternative route to this highway,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Memon, who also serves as a provincial minister of Information, noted that Sindh Minister of Chief Murad Ali Shah had repeatedly reminded the federal government of the importance of the project and had even issued formal letters.
He said federal ministers had recently assured the provincial government that funds would be awarded in the budget. However, MEMON criticized the award as inadequate.
“The construction of the Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway is the responsibility of the federal government, not the Sindh government,” he said. “We were told that the road would soon start and be completed quickly, but with the awarded token amount, this project can neither start immediately or end on time.”
Calling the financing “token money,” Memon said that such large projects require significant and sustained financing over two to three years. He argued that at least 30 to 40 percent of the total cost should have been awarded, as is the case with other national projects.
“By awarding only RS15 billion, there is no justice that has been done for the project or has been considered national interests,” he said. He also raised concerns about the underfunding of the K-IV water supply project and described awards for both initiatives as “very inadequate.”
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), he said, makes these budget decisions seriously and plans to review the budget in detail. Memon noted that PPP had submitted formal proposals to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and called on the federal government to cut down on unnecessary expenses.
“When income does not rise, it becomes important to control the expenses,” he said. “The budget goals set last time were not met. FBR failed to meet its revenue goals.”
He warned that unless the government adopts a smarter approach to expenses and reins in financial management, the financial system would remain under pressure and fiscal policy would not be sustainable.
