Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has assured Chinese investors of stronger security and announced more than two dozen proposed investment agreements. Speaking at the Sindh Investment and Trade Conference in Shanghai on Thursday, he invited Chinese businesses to explore opportunities across key industries. He said the provincial government remained committed to protecting Chinese nationals and their projects.
Shah said Sindh Police had established a dedicated unit to protect Chinese citizens and investments. He added that the government was strengthening the unit’s capacity and would provide the resources needed for security. He also thanked China for helping improve the provincial police’s capabilities.
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The proposed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) cover energy, minerals, electric vehicles, automobile manufacturing and digital development. Other areas include food processing, logistics, warehousing and trade. Shah said each agreement would receive a dedicated contact person within the Sindh Investment Department for follow-up and review.
He stressed that signing agreements would mark the beginning of implementation, rather than the end of the process. The government intends to turn investment commitments into practical economic activity. Shah also highlighted Karachi’s role as a major financial centre and a gateway to markets across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while delivering a keynote address at the Sindh Investment and Trade Conference in Shanghai, said that Sindh is Pakistan’s gateway to the world. Karachi Port and Port Qasim handle the bulk of Pakistan’s seaborne trade and connect investors to markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.
He highlighted Sindh’s strong economic base and young workforce, noting that Karachi is Pakistan’s financial capital and home to the State Bank of Pakistan and the Pakistan Stock Exchange. He said Sindh’s population of more than 55 million is young, dynamic, and increasingly skilled.
He also highlighted Sindh’s abundant natural resources, saying that Thar holds about 175 billion tons of lignite, one of the largest coal reserves in the world. He added that “we produce rice, cotton, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, and dates for Pakistan and the world.”
He said, “We have an investor-friendly framework. Special economic zones offer incentives guaranteed by law, including a 10-year income tax exemption and duty-free import of capital goods.”
He said Sindh was the first province in Pakistan to enact the public-private partnership law. Sindh was also one of only two provinces that were ranked alongside sovereign countries. At that time, China was ranked third, while Sindh, Pakistan, was ranked sixth, ahead of many countries in the region.
The CM said the Sindh Investment Department provides one-window facilitation from the first inquiry to the start of production.
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The chief minister presented Sindh’s natural resources, workforce and investment incentives as reasons for Chinese companies to consider the province. He cited Thar’s estimated 175 billion tonnes of lignite reserves and the wind corridor’s potential of around 50,000 megawatts. Agriculture, including rice, cotton, wheat, sugarcane, fruits and dates, also featured among the province’s economic strengths.
Read more: China investment moot to give new impetus to Sindh’s economy
Shah pointed to existing Chinese-backed projects as examples of cooperation. These included Shanghai Electric’s 1,320-megawatt Thar Block-I power plant, operating commercially since 2023, and wind power development at Jhimpir. He also highlighted a tyre manufacturing joint venture in Nooriabad that has begun exporting to the United States and Brazil.
Looking ahead, Shah identified coal-based industries, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, smart cities and logistics as potential areas for further investment. He said Sindh’s investment department offered one-window facilitation, from initial enquiries through production. He invited Chinese business leaders to visit the province and develop partnerships with local companies.