KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday approved a wide-ranging development package worth Rs21.53 billion for Karachi, with a major portion—Rs13 billion—allocated as grant-in-aid to rehabilitate and upgrade road infrastructure managed by Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs).
According to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s House, the initiative is designed to reduce traffic congestion, enhance road safety, and support economic activity across the provincial capital.
The approval was granted during a high-level meeting at CM House attended by Local Government Minister Nasir Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary to the CM Raheem Shaikh, and other senior officials.
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Briefing the meeting, Nasir Shah said that 24 TMCs had sought financial assistance to repair roads and streets that had deteriorated badly, noting that limited local resources had prevented timely maintenance.
Mayor Murtaza Wahab informed the chief minister that surveys had identified 409 roads across Karachi’s seven districts in urgent need of rehabilitation. Of these, 400 roads require patchwork repairs, while nine must be fully reconstructed due to severe damage.
The estimated cost for rehabilitating these 409 roads stands at Rs10.93 billion. An additional 15 percent, amounting to Rs1.64bn, has been allocated for related sewerage and water supply works, raising the total cost of this component to Rs12.57bn.
District-wise figures show that Malir has the highest number of damaged roads (98), followed by West (81), Central (53), South (50), East (49), Korangi (39), and Keamari (39). In terms of projected expenditure, Keamari tops the list with an estimated Rs2.32bn, followed closely by West at Rs2.31bn and East at Rs1.85bn.
The meeting was informed that all 24 TMCs would carry out internal road rehabilitation projects within their jurisdictions. Major funding allocations include TMC Manghopir (Rs1.75bn), TMC Gadap (Rs960m), TMC Baldia (Rs944m), and TMC Mauripur (Rs858m).
While most schemes focus on patchwork repairs, selected roads in areas such as Gulberg, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Sohrab Goth, Orangi, Manghopir, Saddar, and Landhi will undergo full end-to-end rehabilitation.
Recalling directives issued earlier on January 7, CM Murad noted that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) had been tasked with rehabilitating 26 major roads. Wahab presented KMC’s cost estimates, which include Rs5.53bn for road resurfacing and reconstruction, Rs1bn for urgent water and sewerage repairs to be handled by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), Rs1bn for storm drain retention walls and strengthening, and another Rs1bn for installing and upgrading streetlights.
The total estimated cost for KMC-led projects stands at Rs8.53bn.
Emphasizing the importance of efficient infrastructure, CM Murad said timely road rehabilitation was critical for public convenience and economic growth. He directed all departments to expedite approvals and ensure transparency, quality workmanship, and strict timelines.
“The provision of public amenities and the safety of citizens are our foremost priorities,” the chief minister said, adding that progress would be closely monitored.
He also instructed the Finance Department to release funds without delay so work on damaged roads, sewerage networks, and streetlighting could begin immediately.
Providing further details, Nasir Shah said the overall TMC mega scheme is estimated at Rs13.32bn, which includes Rs10.68bn for patchwork repairs, Rs248m for complete road reconstruction, Rs1.64bn for sewerage and water supply works, Rs628m for Sindh Revenue Board charges, and Rs125m set aside for contingencies.
CM Murad further instructed all departments and TMCs to coordinate closely to prevent repeated excavation of roads and unnecessary disruption for residents, reiterating that transparency, quality control, and timely completion would be strictly enforced.
He also recalled that in November last year, the Sindh government had announced a separate Rs25bn special package for Karachi to repair road damage caused by heavy monsoon rains.
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