Karachi   -  A delegation under the leadership of Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Chairman of the Mutahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan and Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training, met with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. During the meeting, the MQM delegation informed the Deputy Prime Minister about the Prime Minister’s approved proposals for the new financial budget for 2024-25. The MQM delegation included Syed Aminul Haque, Javed Hanif, and Deputy Chairman Planning Dr Jehanzeb Khan. The budget proposals presented by MQM included recommendations for 38 new development projects directly from the federal government for cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, and Sukkur, including a five-year Socio-Economy Development Plan specifically for Karachi.

The delegation further informed the Deputy Prime Minister that providing young people in cities of Sindh, including Karachi and Hyderabad, with interest-free loans under the Successful Youth Programme is part of the approved proposals. Additionally, they mentioned that ensuring full funding for the K-4 project by completing the SIFIC supervision and ensuring completion of the Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan (S-III) by the same year was included in the budget proposals.

The budget for this year also includes funds for the extension of the Green Line project as well as funds for the Blue Line project and Karachi Circular Railway project to start work quickly to provide better transportation facilities for the urban population. The MQM delegation expressed hope that these fundamental recommendations will be included in the government budget, which will increase the confidence of the people in the urban areas of Sindh. AGENCIES