Sindh government employees: Six-month extension of health insurance plan approved

KARACHI: The Sindh government has approved a six-month extension of the health insurance programme for government employees and decided to establish special task forces on water issues, climate change, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Senior Sindh Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon, while addressing a press conference after the Sindh cabinet meeting, said that the cabinet had approved several important decisions.

He said the Sindh government had extended the health insurance programme for government employees for another six months, while special task forces would be established to address water issues, climate change, and artificial intelligence (AI). He added that experts in these fields would be consulted, and policy decisions would be made in light of their recommendations.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the cabinet had also approved strict laws against the manufacture, sale, and transportation of gutka, mainpuri, and narcotics. For this purpose, the Narcotics Control Department will be granted additional powers, legislation will be enacted, and a large-scale crackdown will be carried out across Sindh. He said strict punishments would be imposed on those involved in the sale of gutka and mainpuri.

He said that the Sindh government would purchase 665,000 metric tons of wheat from PASSCO, while another 500,000 metric tons would be imported, which, he said, would result in significant losses for hoarders. He also condemned Punjab’s closure of inter-provincial borders for the transportation of wheat.

He said that the cabinet had also approved participation in a global forum in China to further strengthen trade ties between Pakistan and China. In addition, approval was granted for the allocation of 22 acres of land for the Kanri Mirch Mandi, completion of the Damloti-to-DHA water supply project through the FWO, approval of the revised cost of the Damloti pipeline project, and the establishment of a modern 400-acre truck stand, which will help reduce traffic congestion in the city.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the Chief Minister of Sindh had approved a major relief package for government employees. The Sindh cabinet approved a 2 percent differential allowance on the frozen basic pay of 2022 for employees in Grades 1 to 16, effective from July 1, 2026. Similarly, a 50 percent increase in the conveyance allowance for all provincial government employees was also approved.

The conveyance allowance for Grade 1 to 4 employees has been increased from Rs1,785 to Rs2,678, for Grade 5 to 10 from Rs1,932 to Rs2,898, for Grade 11 to 15 from Rs2,856 to Rs4,284, and for Grade 16 and above from Rs5,000 to Rs7,500 per month. The special conveyance allowance for persons with disabilities has also been increased from Rs6,000 to Rs10,000 per month. He clarified that all allowances approved by the cabinet would take effect from July 1, 2026.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the recent rains in Punjab had caused widespread destruction but were not receiving adequate media coverage. According to him, rural areas of Punjab were submerged, while the situation in urban areas was also alarming. He said that while extensive media coverage and special transmissions are aired during rains in Sindh, the devastation caused by the rains in Punjab was not being highlighted. He questioned why the destruction in Punjab was not being shown.

He said that federal ministers and the Chief Minister had participated in the election campaign, and their election-related announcements amounted to a violation of the code of conduct. He added that those who had deprived people of their rights in their own province were now raising slogans about public rights in Kashmir. He said that the PML-N raises the slogan of “respect the vote” while in opposition but adopts a different approach when in power, adding that rigging would not be allowed in Kashmir.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that, for the first time in the history of Gilgit-Baltistan, the ruling party had been defeated, while the election campaign led by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari had set an example. He said that the Pakistan People’s Party had given the country its Constitution, nuclear programme, and missile technology, while its leaders had sacrificed their lives for the rights of the people without compromising on their principles. He added that gaining power through a fake mandate was no miracle, and the PML-N leadership had repeatedly made deals during difficult times and left the country.

He further said that 17 precious lives had been lost due to the rains in Punjab, while some PML-N ministers were present in Murree and Azad Kashmir. He said that those who had come to power through a fake mandate were now talking about the rights of the Kashmiri people. Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the people of Punjab were their brothers and that the Sindh government opposed Punjab’s closure of the border for wheat transportation. He added that while motorways were being constructed at the district level in Punjab, Sindh’s legitimate motorway projects continued to be ignored.

In response to a question, he said that the PPP was not an ally of the federal government but had only extended parliamentary support, adding that a similar offer had also been made to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Reacting to Khawaja Saad Rafique’s recent statement, Sharjeel Inam Memon said that he had made a regrettable statement against Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. He said that, in Khawaja Saad Rafique’s view, Zia-ul-Haq was the greatest leader, and since the PML-N leadership was a product of General Zia-ul-Haq, it would never acknowledge the services of Shaheed Bhutto or Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026