KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has said that if the federal government imposes 18% tax on solar panels, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will not support the federal budget. He said PPP strongly opposes the tax on solar energy and will only back the budget if key public projects are addressed.
Speaking at a press conference, Murad Ali Shah said that Sindh cannot be controlled directly from Islamabad. He reminded that such efforts have failed in the past and will not work now either. He also pointed out that the promise to run 150 buses in Karachi has not been fulfilled.
He announced that a major sanitation project is being launched across Sindh and large-scale drinking water schemes are also in progress. However, the government has not yet been successful in digitizing land records – a challenge faced across Pakistan.
The chief minister shared that Phase 1 of the Safe City project is expected to be completed by September or October next year. It will include coverage of Red Zone and Shahrah-e-Faisal. He mentioned that 57 cameras installed on I.I. Chundrigar Road have already helped issue alerts about fake number plates and wanted individuals.
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He added that Phase 2 of the Safe City project will be completed in 2026, and funds have already been set aside. “The people of Sindh can see our performance,” he said, adding that the PPP received more votes in the recent elections compared to before. “If someone cannot see our work, it’s their personal issue,” he added.
Murad Ali Shah clarified that although PPP is not formally an ally of the PML-N, it is supporting the federal government for national interest. “We told the centre that Sindh was given less share in the last ten years. We demanded equal treatment and, based on that, received Rs86 billion this time.”
He also announced that a new helicopter is being purchased because the current one is 36 years old. New vehicles were also bought for the Chief Minister’s House after many years. However, there will be a ban on buying vehicles next year.
The Sindh government is also launching corporate farming but will carry it out through local farmers.
It is worth mentioning that on June 10, soon after the budget announcement, the PPP had rejected the 18% tax on solar panels, saying it would deprive people of cheap electricity. Party spokesperson Shazia Marri had also confirmed on social media platform X that PPP would not support such a tax.
