KARACHI: Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab Saturday said that at the beginning of this year, it was announced that 2026 would be the year of completion of development projects in the megacity, and now work on these projects has started to fulfil that commitment.
Addressing a press conference at Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s Head Office, the Mayor said that KMC was working on 1,058 development schemes this year, including the construction and rehabilitation of roads and the restoration of old buildings. The development work will also be carried out in the inner streets of towns to provide maximum facilities to citizens.
He said that Karachi is the economic hub of Pakistan, but the condition of many commercial centers in the megacity has deteriorated. Therefore, Rs750 million were being spent on the rehabilitation of the Old City area. The development work was under way around Lee Market, Khajoor Market and Bolton Market. The development work was also being carried out behind the City Court.
He said that one billion rupees would also be spent on the improvement of other commercial markets in the city, and development work has already begun at the Nursery Furniture Market, which is visited by thousands of people daily. The work would be completed after Eid.
He said construction work has also started on the road from Anklesaria Hospital to NJV School, and improvement of the market under the Qaidabad Flyover is also part of the plan. Work had begun in the Banaras area, while development work is also under way in 24 markets in the municipal area at a cost exceeding one billion rupees.
He said that KMC is also committed to improve Karachi’s historic heritage, and work is under way on the restoration project of Empress Market.
He added that the KMC Building itself is a more than 100-year-old historic structure and its restoration work is under way. The building had also been shifted to solar energy.
He said the old market of Denso Hall had been repaired and the renovation of Hassan Ali Hoti Market had been completed.
The rehabilitation of Soldier Bazaar Market, which was built a century ago, was also under way, along with restoration works at Machhi Miani Market and the Cantt Station Civil Lines Market, which will be completed before June 30.
He said that due to the poor condition of Hub River Road and Tori Bangash Road, citizens were facing difficulties. The development work had started on Tori Bangash Road. KMC’s vision was to ensure development work across all seven districts of Karachi.
The Mayor said work had begun on the Bird Aviary project at Kidney Hill at a cost of 200 million rupees. Five hundred thousand trees have been planted there with the support of the Forest Department and civil society. A public park was also being constructed at Gutter Baghicha, while 500 million rupees would be spent on the construction of the main road of Gulshan-e-Hadeed Steel Town.
He said that Shahrah-e-Faisal and University Road were being improved as a major corridor because traffic pressure had shifted to Shahrah-e-Faisal, Shahrah-e-Pakistan, Rashid Minhas Road, Karsaz and Dalmia Road due to the BRT project. Therefore, a plan worth four billion rupees had been prepared to improve four major corridors. In addition, the Pehlwan Goth project has been launched and its foundation stone has already been laid.
The Mayor said that no new graveyards had been established in the city for decades; therefore, new graveyards will be developed at a cost of 430 million rupees.
He said Memon Goth Road would be completed within two months, an IT Park would be inaugurated in Shadman Town, and work on the sports ground at Mauripur Road was progressing rapidly and would be completed by May 31, 2026.
The Mayor said that streetlights were being shifted to solar systems at a cost of one billion rupees, while another one billion rupees would be spent on the improvement of storm drains. He added that encroachments on 7,000 roads would be removed and an alternative road to Natha Khan Bridge would also be constructed.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026