PDP says megacity’s development engine stuck in second gear

KARACHI: Expressing dismay over the snail paced uplift projects in Karachi, Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here on Sunday said that the megacity’s development engine is stuck in second gear — and millions are paying the price.

He said from the University Road to the K-IV every project in Karachi is beyond its schedule. “Another budget. Another groundbreaking event. Another missed deadline.”

He said Karachi has grown accustomed to announcements of mega-packages and the ritual of ribbon-cuttings — yet the daily reality for its citizens remains gridlocked roads, parched taps, and crumbling infrastructure. The problem is no longer a lack of funds or vision; it is the pace at which both are converted into progress.

He said the Sindh government has approved a Rs 95 billion development package, including Rs 84.796 billion for 523 schemes, alongside Rs 19.1 billion for major road networks and 816 ongoing projects worth over Rs 644 billion. On paper, the numbers are impressive.

“However, on the ground, the story is different: the University Road has slipped repeatedly — now pushed to 2026 end — while the Dumlottee-DHA pipeline and K-IV augmentation crawl forward as the megacity’s water crisis deepens.”

He said; however, there are exceptions that prove what is possible. The Bhains Colony Flyover was completed in a record five months — evidence that when coordination and will exist, speed follows. That model must become the standard, not the anecdote, he said.

Altaf Shakoor said the cost of delay is not abstract. It is measured in hours lost in traffic, in tankers queuing for water, in businesses relocating, and in public trust eroding with every extended timeline.

He said Karachi’s role as Pakistan’s economic engine — its ports, its trade corridors, its workforce — cannot be sustained at a development pace that lags behind its problems.

He said the way forward demands hard deadlines with accountability — utility shifting (K-Electric, SSGC) must be pre-planned, not treated as an afterthought.

He asked for decentralized execution — empowering KMC and DMCs with funds and authority to fix inner-city roads immediately.

He said an accelerated pace of uplift also needs transparent monitoring — real-time public visibility of project progress, not just budget allocations.

PDP Chairman said Karachi cannot afford another decade of “near completion.” The city does not need more schedules — it needs speed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026