First Marble City being set up in Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that Pakistan’s first Marble City is being established in Karachi to create new investment opportunities, promote industrial activities and generate employment.

He said the project would enable the processing of marble and granite reserves found in different parts of Sindh and other areas of the country through modern industrial techniques to produce high-quality products for export to international markets.

Addressing the pre-launch ceremony of the Karachi Marble City Industrial Park at a local hotel, he said investors would be provided with opportunities to establish industries equipped with modern facilities.

The project would promote the local processing of natural resources and the production of finished goods instead of exporting them as raw materials, which would also benefit the national economy, he added.

Sindh minister says project will promote local processing of stone and granite for exports

The formal inauguration of the project would be performed by Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Mr Memon said the average price of land in Marble City was being set at approximately Rs25 million per acre. Investors would not be required to pay the entire amount in a single instalment, as those unable to make a one-time payment would also be offered the facility to pay in installments.

According to a press release, Mr Memon said that despite the country’s vast reserves of marble and granite, these resources had not been utilised to their full potential.

He said agriculture also held fundamental importance in Pakistan’s economy, with a large segment of the population depending on the sector for employment. Pakistan needed to increase its agricultural exports and align agricultural production with modern industrial requirements.

He said the Sindh government would welcome other provinces, including Punjab, adopting successful projects initiated by Sindh. Similarly, if the provincial government found any policy or project of Punjab to be more effective, it would be happy to adopt it.

“We are all part of the same country and should encourage each other’s positive initiatives,” he added.

He claimed that several industrialists who had established businesses in other cities of the country were now also interested in shifting their operations to Karachi and making fresh investments in the city.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Investment and Public-Private Partnership Qasim Naveed Qamar said the Marble City project covered an area of more than 300 acres along the Northern Bypass, with an estimated cost of $250 million. The project was being developed under a public-private partnership framework.

He said the Sindh government was working on a proposal to provide electricity at Rs20 per unit for its projects, particularly in Dhabeji and Khairpur.

He said efforts were also underway to provide industrialists in Marble City with facilities at the lowest possible cost, make machinery available on rent and provide access to the world’s most advanced equipment.

Arrangements were also being made to offer electricity at rates lower than those charged by K-Electric, he added.

Mr Qasim said the process of registration of investors and industrialists was being initiated, with registration scheduled to begin next month. Further facilities would also be extended to investors following registration.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2026