KARACHI: Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Saturday that construction work on Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was continuing around –the-clock and that University Road would be reopened to traffic by the end of July 2026.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to review progress on the Red Line corridor, Memon—-having portfolios of Information, Transport and Mass Transit— acknowledged the inconvenience caused to commuters by the ongoing construction and said the provincial government had taken difficult decisions to complete the project.
“The public has faced temporary difficulties because of these development works. We understand their concerns and apologise for the inconvenience,” he said.
The Senior Minister was accompanied by Transport Secretary Asad Zamin, TransKarachi Chief Executive Officer Zubair Channa and other officials.
Highlighting broader infrastructure challenges, Memon said Karachi had historically suffered from inadequate planning despite being Pakistan’s largest city and economic hub. He noted that the city also continued to face a significant water shortage.
Referring to recently completed transport infrastructure, he said the opening of the Shahrah-e-Bhutto had reduced travel time and improved connectivity. Police, ambulance and rescue services had been deployed along the route to ensure public safety and rapid emergency response.
He said Karachi remained the country’s largest centre for healthcare services, attracting patients from across Pakistan seeking treatment.
He also cited the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences as an example of the Sindh government’s efforts to provide quality healthcare free of cost.
He criticised the condition of roads under federal jurisdiction in Sindh, saying the provincial government had used its own resources to improve road networks across the province while additional development work remained underway.
He said Sindh was implementing what he described as the world’s largest housing initiative for low-income families, under which homes were being constructed for approximately 2.1 million beneficiaries. He also highlighted investments in the Thar coal project, saying the provincial government had invested around $1 billion to help generate affordable electricity for the country. Addressing Karachi’s traffic challenges, Memon said a major terminal was being developed on the Northern Bypass to ease congestion caused by heavy transport movement. He noted that Karachi continued to absorb large numbers of people from across the country seeking employment and public services, placing additional pressure on the city’s infrastructure.
Responding to political questions, Memon dismissed criticism from Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Captain Safdar (retd), saying he did not consider him a significant political figure and had no intention of engaging in a political exchange.
Commenting on the political situation in Gilgit-Baltistan, he claimed the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) remained the focus of public attention during the election campaign and expressed confidence that the party would perform strongly in the upcoming polls.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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