Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday reiterated his commitment to addressing Karachi’s challenges through efficient governance, rigorous monitoring, and enhanced coordination between the city administration and local government departments.
The meeting Shah chaired at the CM House focused on critical issues such as drainage, illegal encroachments, road-cutting, sanitation, security and traffic management. Several significant decisions were made to improve the infrastructure and services in the city.
Shah noted that road-cutting in three districts of the city has created difficulties for residents, especially since many of these roads have been newly constructed. When he was informed that local towns had issued road-cutting permissions within their jurisdictions, he decided that road-cutting permissions would now be granted exclusively by the city’s mayor and commissioner.
He instructed the LG department to issue an executive order to ensure that no Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) or town officer can independently approve road-cutting. He also directed the chief secretary to streamline road-cutting operations to minimise disruptions.
Shah also mentioned various minor issues, such as overflowing gutters, sanitation problems, debris on main roads, and other factors disrupting traffic flow and harming the administration’s reputation.
He directed the commissioner to enhance the monitoring of civic issues. “Assistant commissioners will conduct citywide inspections to address issues of drainage overflow, sanitation and illegal parking.”
He also announced the development of a dedicated Karachi Issues Portal at the CM House, where ACs and deputy commissioners must upload reports on drainage, encroachments and cleanliness.
With Eidul Fitr approaching, Shah instructed the CS to enhance police patrolling for improved security, and to make special arrangements to facilitate people during shopping. He also directed the KMC and traffic police to improve street lighting, traffic management and security in key commercial areas.
The CM tasked the mayor with beautifying four major markets and their surroundings, ensuring the provision of seating areas by the end of the financial year. “Next year we can beautify more markets and public places to make them invite visitors.”
The meeting also noted that the water pipeline installation in Lyari is still in progress. Shah directed the LG minister to expedite its completion and provide him with updates.
“If there are any issues, resolve them through the planning & development department,” he said. He also issued clear instructions to remove soft encroachments after Eid to ensure that public spaces remain accessible.
Separately, Shah met High Commissioner of Australia to Pakistan Neil Hawkins, who had called on him at the CM House to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
Shah invited Australian investors to explore opportunities in Sindh’s agricultural sector, emphasising the provincial government’s commitment to agricultural development and technological advancement. Hawkins highlighted Australia’s collaboration with the Mehran University on research related to crops that can withstand extreme weather conditions.
The CM said his government has a successful public-private partnership model. He said Shahrah-e-Bhutto has been constructed in Karachi, and would be completely opened for traffic by year-end. He disclosed his plan to connect it with the port to provide direct access to the motorway, thereby easing traffic congestion.
Discussing Karachi’s potential as a main investment hub, Shah encouraged foreign investors to consider the opportunities available. Hawkins reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to collaborating with Sindh in the health sector.