KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Tuesday approved a Rs500 cut in the wheat release price from Rs5,000 to Rs4,500 per 40kg following a dip in market prices. The government directed flour mills to pass on the benefit to consumers.
Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the decision would bring down the price of flour by Rs15 per kg.
He added that the decision aligned Sindh’s rate with other provinces and followed a recent dip in market prices, aimed at ensuring that flour mills pass on the benefit to the public.
Mr Memon said that the cabinet also approved the draft Sindh Charities Registration and Regulation Rules, 2026, under the Sindh Charities Registration and Regulation Act, 2019, for registration and monitoring of charitable organisations, and the registration of Lady Dufferin Hospital Trust under the Sindh Trusts Act, 2020.
Mr Memon said that the cabinet constituted a com-mittee comprising Ministers Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar and adviser Najmi Alam to formulate laws and proposals, including a one-window operation, to resolve issues of unauthorised regularisation and issuance of leases in Katchi Abadis by the KMC and other municipal bodies.
He said the provincial government announced a public holiday on Monday on account of Diwali for the Hindu community.
He said that a Traffic Management Authority would be established and legislation presented soon while a Smart Traffic Management System would be introduced in Karachi to improve traffic flow and monitoring.
‘Strict, non-discriminatory action would be taken against traffic violations, fancy and illegal number plates, display of firearms on vehicles and underage driving and stunts like one-wheeling even in posh areas,’ he said.
The senior minister said that those displaying weapons while wearing plain clothes would be arrested immediately along with the armed guards and the owner of the vehicle.
On encroachments, he said that the government did not want to affect anyone’s livelihood but removal of encroachments from roads would be ensured to facilitate public travel.
On political gatherings, Mr Memon said that any party wishing to hold a public meeting must obtain a formal permission and act peacefully and lawfully, add-ing that no permission would be granted for a gathering on Sharea Faisal. ‘The MQM should listen carefully; permission to hold a public gathering on Sharea Faisal will not be granted under any circumstances, and MQM will not be allowed to repeat incidents like May 12,’ he said.
‘The PPP and Sindh government have made their position clear that no law or decision can supersede the Sindh Assembly,’ he said, adding that Mustafa Kamal, Farooq Sattar and Khalid Maqbool did not enjoy publicstandingto even get elected as councillors.
The cabinet also approved additional funds of Rs502.409 million for five public health engineering and rural development department schemes in Jamshoro, including the main water supply scheme for Sehwan.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by CM House said the cabinet meeting fixed Nov 15 as the start date for the 2026-27 sugarcane crushing season and directed the agriculture, supply and prices department to hold consultations with stakeholders before finalising the support price.
It said that the cabinet approved the processing of 1,275 acres of state land in Dehs Bakran and Pipri, District Malir, for establishing an industrial park on a government-to-government basis, utilising land associated with Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) to boost industrialisation.
According to the statement, to maximise land for the Karachi Industrial Park, the industries department would approach the federal government to examine the existing allotment of 300 acres to the Ministry of Textiles for Karachi Garment City and seek permission for its re-allotment to the PSM, while 100 acres allotted to the People’s Housing Cell would be de-notified for transfer to the PSM, he said.
At the same time, 700 acres earmarked for the original PSM plant would remain intact and strictly reserved for revitalisation of the existing plant or establishment of a new steel mill.