CM orders removing encroachments along Malir Expressway

During his visit to the under-construction 39.889km-long Malir Expressway on Sunday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah evaluated the project’s progress from Zero Point, near the Jam Sadiq Bridge, to Kathore.

Shah expressed his dissatisfaction with the local administration due to their inability to relocate the K-Electric installations, which has consequently delayed the opening of the first segment of the expressway.

When he reached Zero Point, he was received by Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Public-Private Partnership Unit Director General Asad Zamin, Malir Expressway Project Director Niaz Soomro, Engineer Khalid Mansoor and other officials.

During the inspection of the project’s site, the CM expressed his displeasure upon discovering that the spans were lying ready on the ground but they had not been installed on the pillars to create a traffic ramp to access the Malir Expressway at Zero Point.

When he inquired about the delay, he was informed that KE had not yet relocated its overhead installations, which was preventing the spans from being fixed on the pillars.

Shah instructed the relevant deputy commissioner to ensure that this issue is resolved within a week, warning that he would take action if it is not addressed. He pointed out that since KE has already been paid for the relocation of its installations, the delay on their part is unacceptable.

He drove on the Malir Expressway from Zero Point to the Shah Faisal Interchange, and on the way he discovered that land grabbing has started along the sides of the expressway.

He stopped there and called the District Korangi DC and SSP on the spot, and asked them why the illegal structures have emerged on their watch.

“I won’t allow encroachments even on a single inch of government land,” he stressed, and ordered the officials to bulldoze the illegal structures and compound walls, then send him a compliance report.

He directed PD Soomro to ensure the completion of the work by the end of November because he wants the first segment, from the Korangi Causeway to Shah Faisal, to be opened for traffic in the first week of December.

Shah, along with his team, travelled along the expressway from Shah Faisal to Quaidabad to inspect the ongoing construction. During the briefing, it was noted that while the expressway itself was ready, the small interchange at Quaidabad had been halted due to issues with land acquisition.

The CM said he had released funds for the land acquisition. He stressed that payments should be made to the landowners promptly so that Segment-II of the expressway could be opened as soon as possible.

He visited the structures of the toll plaza and the triangular parks being developed at the Shah Faisal Interchange and other interchanges. He directed the officials concerned about planting grass and trees to beautify the areas.

The provincial chief executive also directed the police department to devise a plan for the establishment of police checkpoints for the security of the Malir Expressway.

It may be noted here that the Malir Expressway, from Zero Point to Kathore, has six interchanges, three bridges and five weight stations, and the project is scheduled to be fully completed by the end of 2025.