KARACHI: Inaugurating the project to convert Shahrah-e-Faisal street lights to solar energy at a cost of Rupees 900 million, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that 2026 will be the year of development and every promise made to the people during the elections will be honored.
Public welfare projects are underway in Keamari, the Old City areas and other parts of the city. Work is progressing rapidly on Shahrah-e-Bhutto, Murghi Khana Bridge, and other major projects.
Shahrah-e-Bhutto from Qayyumabad to Kathore will soon be opened for traffic. This will benefit not only the city but commuters travelling to other cities of the country.
He said that street lights on three major arteries of Karachi have been shifted to a solar system, including Shahrah-e-Faisal and Shahrah-e-Iran. Sir Shah Suleman Road, Mai Kolachi Road, and other major roads will also be shifted to solar energy.
Under this project, completed at a cost of Rs 900 million, the company installing the solar panels will be responsible for operations and maintenance with a five-year warranty, resulting in an annual saving of approximately Rs 25 million in electricity bills.
In the past, street lights used to remain switched off due to K-Electric load shedding, and allegations of failure were levelled against the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, however this issue has now been resolved through practical measures.
The Mayor stated that Conocarpus trees are neither environment-friendly nor suitable for infrastructure, yet unnecessary controversy is created over their removal. The real need, he emphasized, is the plantation of indigenous trees, which are beneficial for the environment, soil and public health.
He said that press conferences, protests, and negative politics do not solve problems. Had press conferences been the solution, the city’s issues would have been resolved long ago. Jamaat-e-Islami should compete through practical work instead of conspiracies and hypocrisy. Everyone wants to become a mayor or a minister, but these positions are crowns of thorns—the real test lies in serving the public.
Conspiracies have achieved nothing in the past and nor will in future. The only path forward is service, tolerance, and practical work. Cities move forward through hard work and public service, not through conflicts and baseless allegations, the Mayor asserted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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