By Aziz Khatri
KARACHI: Spokesperson to the Mayor of Karachi and Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentary leader in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karamullah Waqasi, has welcomed the Sindh government’s decision to allocate more than Rs100.19 billion for Karachi in the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, describing it as a major development package that would open new avenues of growth and urban improvement for the city.
Waqasi said on 18 June 2026 that the package reflected what he called the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership and Sindh government’s continued commitment to addressing Karachi’s long-standing civic challenges and improving infrastructure across key sectors.
He said the allocated funds would strengthen ongoing development work in the city and support improvements in transport, water supply systems, sewerage networks, infrastructure and municipal services. He added that these investments were expected to directly improve living conditions for millions of residents while also contributing to economic activity in the country’s largest city.
According to Waqasi, 816 development projects were currently underway in Karachi with a combined cost exceeding Rs644 billion. He said that among these, 167 major schemes valued at more than Rs50 crore each and 110 mega projects worth over Rs1 billion were in progress, all aimed at modernising urban infrastructure and expanding civic facilities.
He highlighted the Lyari Transformation Package as a key component of the broader development strategy, calling it a significant initiative for one of Karachi’s oldest and most densely populated areas. The package, he said, carried an allocation of Rs4.37 billion and focused on improvements in roads, drainage systems, sports facilities, educational infrastructure and other civic amenities in Lyari.
Waqasi said the Sindh government had consistently prioritised the development of Lyari and that the new package would bring tangible improvements to local residents, particularly in areas that had long faced infrastructure challenges.
He also pointed to major investments in water and sewerage infrastructure, including the Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan S-III, which is being implemented at a cost of more than Rs32 billion. He said Rs1 billion had been allocated for its continuation, reflecting what he described as the government’s commitment to addressing the city’s drainage and environmental problems.
He added that ongoing investments in water supply and sewerage systems were aimed at improving access to clean drinking water, strengthening drainage capacity and reducing environmental pollution. These measures, he said, would provide long-term relief to citizens and contribute to a healthier urban environment.
Waqasi further said that the budget included several transport and infrastructure projects designed to ease traffic congestion and improve mobility across the city. He mentioned the construction of a flyover from Karachi Airport Road to Star Gate costing Rs1.20 billion and a right-turn underpass from Malir Halt to Shahrah-e-Faisal costing Rs1.50 billion.
He said these projects would help reduce travel time, improve traffic flow and support commercial activity in key parts of the city. He added that improved connectivity would also strengthen Karachi’s role as the country’s economic hub.
Waqasi expressed confidence that coordination between the Sindh government, local bodies and relevant departments would ensure timely completion of all development schemes so that residents could benefit from improved civic facilities as soon as possible.
