KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to advance plans for several strategic public-private partnership (PPP) projects aimed at transforming Sindh into a regional hub for trade, finance, technology and sustainable development.

Held at Bilawal House, the meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Agriculture Minister Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Mahar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah and Principal Secretary to the CM Agha Wasif.

A statement issued after the meeting said the chief minister briefed Bhutto-Zardari on various strategic initiatives to be undertaken under the PPP framework.

The meeting reviewed the Keti Bandar Integrated Corridor (KBIC), a long-term strategic initiative aimed at developing Keti Bandar into a world-class maritime, logistics, industrial and energy hub.

The proposed KBIC envisions modern port infrastructure, logistics facilities, industrial development, energy infrastructure, fisheries, tourism and associated economic activities that would strengthen Sindh’s maritime economy, promote exports, generate employment and attract significant domestic and foreign investment, the statement said.

The meeting also discussed the proposed Sindh International Financial Centre, envisioned to reinforce Karachi’s status as Pakistan’s financial capital by facilitating infrastructure finance, Islamic finance, climate finance, financial technology, international commercial services, dispute resolution and global investment.

The initiative is expected to mobilise capital for infrastructure, housing, technology, industrial development and climate-resilient projects while enhancing investor confidence.

Similarly, the Data Infrastructure Initiative was also presented, aimed at leveraging Sindh’s abundant renewable energy resources to establish renewable energy-powered data centres, cloud computing facilities, AI infrastructure and digital technology parks.

“It is intended to attract leading global technology companies and position Sindh as a regional destination for sustainable digital infrastructure and next-generation technology investments,” the statement said.

Agriculture Minister Mahar presented initiatives relating to Farmers’ Agricultural Collectives, which aimed to organise small farmers into legally recognised, democratic collectives to improve productivity, strengthen collaboration and enhance access to modern agricultural services.

According to the statement, the initiative was designed to facilitate the shared use of farm machinery, efficient water management, renewable energy solutions, digital advisory services, market linkages, financing opportunities and technical support while promoting climate-smart agriculture, rural employment and higher farm incomes.

“After detailed deliberations, it was agreed that the successful execution of projects of this scale requires institutional strengthening and specialised technical capacity,” the statement said.

“The meeting therefore endorsed the proposal to transform the existing PPP Unit into a company to provide greater operational flexibility and enable the engagement of highly qualified specialists from the market to lead and manage complex strategic PPP initiatives,” the statement added.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2026