The Sindh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, approved an interest-free loan of Rs10.56 billion for the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC). This funding will be used for a dedicated water supply project for the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi.
The project involves constructing a 36-kilometre pipeline from Dumlottee to DHA, along with a pumping station, forebay, and filtration plant. The project was initially approved by KW&SC’s board in February 2025 and is expected to be completed within 11 months.
In addition to the water supply project, the Sindh cabinet approved several other key initiatives. The allocation for the Flood Emergency Response Component (FERC) was increased from Rs21.56 billion to Rs27.67 billion to support 151,147 farmers who were affected by the 2022 floods. Of the additional funding, Rs6.1 billion will be directed toward the remaining verified cases, and Rs2.37 billion will be distributed through the Benazir Hari Card, which provides financial support to farmers for disaster-related expenses.
The cabinet also gave the Agriculture Department approval to sign an MoU with Sindh Bank to implement the Benazir Hari Card. This card aims to offer subsidies on agricultural inputs and soft loans. Over 237,000 farmers have already registered, and 88,871 applications have been verified.
Further, the cabinet allocated Rs45.02 billion for a 105-km railway link to connect the Thar coalfield (Islamkot) to Chorr. This project, which includes a 9-km dual track from Bin Qasim to Port Qasim and a coal unloading terminal, has received Rs7 billion in funding from the federal government’s PSDP for the fiscal year 2025–26.
The cabinet also approved amendments to the Sindh E-Stamp Rules, 2020, to streamline property transactions by eliminating the need for physical e-stamp paper in areas with active e-registration systems. Additionally, the Sindh Agricultural Income Tax Rules, 2025, were endorsed, which include provisions for mandatory registration, e-filing of returns, and record-keeping in Urdu, Sindhi, or English, while allowing losses from natural disasters to be carried forward.
In a move aimed at boosting industrial development, the cabinet approved the creation of industrial enclaves on 951 acres in Hyderabad under a public-private partnership. The Finance Department will allocate Rs3.54 billion for this project, which is expected to generate over 55,000 jobs.
Finally, the cabinet approved the transfer of 248 acres of land for the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (M-6) project, valued at Rs667.23 million, and authorized additional land allotments across several districts, including Jamshoro and Sukkur.
The meeting covered 52 agenda items, most of which were approved with directives for prompt implementation. Senior provincial ministers, advisors, and officials, including the Chief Secretary, attended the session.
