Sui Southern Gas Company: Business leaders urge early completion of excavation work
KARACHI: Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala and President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Muhammad Rehan Hanif, while expressing serious concern over the extensive road excavation activities being carried out by Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) across various parts of Karachi for the laying, replacement, rehabilitation and upgrading of gas pipelines, stated that although the business community fully recognizes the importance of modernizing gas infrastructure to improve service delivery, enhance safety standards and minimize leakages, the manner in which these activities are being undertaken has become a source of immense hardship for the citizens and businesses of Karachi.
In a letter sent to the Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, Zubair Motiwala and Rehan Hanif pointed out that over the past several months, roads in numerous commercial, industrial and residential areas had been excavated for pipeline-related works. However, it had been widely observed that after completion of the excavation and pipeline installation process, many of these roads had either not been reconstructed at all or had remained in a damaged condition for extended periods.
As a result, commuters, transporters, residents and businesses continued to face severe difficulties on a daily basis.
They said that the deteriorated condition of roads had significantly aggravated traffic congestion across the city, increased travel time and transportation costs, caused damage to vehicles and created serious safety risks for motorists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and school-going children.
The situation was particularly alarming in commercial and industrial zones where the movement of goods, employees, customers and suppliers were being adversely affected. Given Karachi’s status as the economic engine of Pakistan, any disruption to mobility directly impacted business productivity and economic activity, ultimately affecting the overall economy.
They said that the business community had been unable to understand how such large-scale excavation activities could be permitted without a comprehensive and enforceable arrangement for the prompt reconstruction and restoration of the affected roads.
It was difficult to comprehend that roads funded through public resources could be dug up extensively and left unattended for months after completion of the utility works.
The prevailing situation, they said, raised legitimate concerns regarding the regulatory framework, contractual obligations and institutional responsibilities governing such projects.
The chairman of the BMG and the president of the KCCI called upon the Government of Sindh to clarify under what terms and conditions the SSGC had been granted permission to undertake road-cutting activities throughout the city and whether such permissions included mandatory provisions requiring the company to restore roads to their original condition immediately upon completion of pipeline works.
They further questioned that if road restoration was not the direct responsibility of the SSGC, then it was equally important to determine which department had been assigned this responsibility and what mechanism existed to ensure timely execution of restoration works.
They further stated that reports suggested that substantial amounts were collected from utility companies in the form of road-cutting and restoration charges before excavation work was permitted.
If such charges were indeed being collected, the business community was concerned as to why the restoration process was not being completed expeditiously and where the bottlenecks existed that continued to leave roads in a damaged state for prolonged periods.
They maintained that the public had a right to know how these funds were being utilized and which institution was accountable for ensuring that affected roads were reconstructed without unnecessary delay.
Highlighting the lack of coordination among the concerned agencies, Zubair Motiwala and Rehan Hanif observed that the current situation reflected ineffective coordination among SSGC, local government authorities, municipal agencies and other relevant institutions. Citizens, they said, should not be made to suffer because of administrative gaps or overlapping jurisdictions between various departments. While infrastructure development is undoubtedly necessary, it must be undertaken in a manner that safeguards public convenience, road safety and economic activity.
They stressed that a coordinated mechanism was urgently required to ensure that excavation, utility installation and road restoration were treated as integral components of a single project rather than separate and disconnected responsibilities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026