KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday robustly defended his government’s Rs3.652 trillion budget for 2026-27, highlighting what he described as prudent fiscal management, record legislative participation, major gains in agriculture, health, education and infrastructure, and an ambitious roadmap aimed at transforming Sindh into a regional hub for trade, finance, renewable energy and investment. Winding up the budget debate in the Sindh Assembly, the Chief Minister said the province had managed to maintain fiscal discipline despite facing a budget deficit of Rs344 billion, reduced federal fiscal space and additional expenditures exceeding Rs95 billion during the outgoing year. He said the government had nevertheless completed nearly 100 major development projects, achieved wheat self-sufficiency for the first time in Sindh’s history, expanded social protection programmes and continued investing in critical public services. Presenting what amounted to both a defence of his government’s performance and a vision statement for Sindh’s future, Mr Shah announced plans to develop Keti Bandar as a major economic and logistics hub through public-private partnerships, establish a Sindh International Financial Centre, create a province-wide Green Energy Network and introduce a new agricultural financing framework aimed at empowering small farmers. The Chief Minister also unveiled an Annual Development Programme (ADP) of Rs720 billion for the next financial year, including Rs206 billion earmarked for Karachi, and pledged to complete more than 1,800 development schemes across the province. Throughout his address, Mr Shah repeatedly emphasised that Sindh had exercised greater fiscal restraint than other provinces while continuing to protect social-sector spending. He noted that education and health allocations had increased, administrative expenditures had been reduced by more than Rs62 billion and resources had been redirected towards development, social welfare, infrastructure and economic growth initiatives. The Chief Minister devoted a significant portion of his speech to showcasing the government’s development achievements during FY2025-26. Through a detailed pictorial presentation, he highlighted completed projects in healthcare, education, irrigation, roads, housing, disability inclusion, tourism, sports and urban development, describing them as evidence that the province was continuing to deliver despite financial constraints. He also pointed to the success of the Sindh People’s Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF) programme, describing it as the world’s largest owner-driven housing initiative. According to the Chief Minister, one million houses have already been completed for flood-affected families, while another 600,000 are under construction across Sindh. Mr Shah further claimed that sustained investments in law and order, healthcare, energy and infrastructure had fundamentally transformed the province over the past decade and a half. Citing the success of Thar coal, expansion of free cardiac treatment facilities through NICVD, improvements in public healthcare and the province’s growing renewable energy potential, he said Sindh was now positioned to become one of Pakistan’s leading centres for economic growth and investment. Calling for greater recognition of Sindh’s contribution to the federation, the Chief Minister reiterated that his government would continue supporting national stability while firmly defending the province’s constitutional, financial and developmental rights. The Chief Minister also highlighted growing international confidence in Sindh’s development agenda, noting that the World Bank had approved projects worth approximately $1.7 billion for Sindh during the past two and a half months. He described the approvals as a significant vote of confidence in the province’s governance and development strategy.