Karachi: In a significant development, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah met with International Finance Corporation (IFC) Regional Director for Pakistan and the Middle East, Khawaja Aftab Ahmed, to discuss new initiatives aimed at bolstering the IT industry and improving water infrastructure in Karachi.

According to Chief Minister Sindh, the meeting focused on the collaboration between the public and private sectors to establish IT parks and initiate water projects in the city. The discussion underscored the government’s commitment to the IT sector, with plans to launch IT parks, notably at NED University. This initiative is expected to encompass designing, packaging, and manufacturing activities within the IT sector.

Chief Minister Shah highlighted ongoing efforts to integrate IT education in the province’s universities, including NED Karachi, Mehran University Jamshoro, and IBA Sukkur. These institutions are set to provide certification courses to ten thousand youths, aiming to equip them with skills necessary for employment in the burgeoning IT field.

Khawaja Aftab Ahmed of the IFC expressed optimism about the potential for job creation and foreign exchange earnings through the IT industry in Sindh, particularly with the private sector’s involvement.

The meeting also covered the IFC’s collaboration with the Sindh government on a project designed to deliver clean drinking water to one million people in Karachi through a public-private partnership, illustrating a broad approach to addressing both economic and environmental challenges in the region.