Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Sunday inaugurated a modern parking facility at the Empress Market, Saddar, capable of accommodating 600 vehicles — including 300 cars and 300 motorcycles.
According to a statement issued by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the facility aims at easing traffic congestion in the city’s centre and offer much-needed relief to commuters and shopkeepers.
Talking to media representatives at the inauguration of the parking facility, the mayor said the KMC is actively working to resolve the parking issues in Saddar by creating modern and accessible parking spaces.
“We have created a proper system in Saddar and are arranging more parking areas. A new facility will also be introduced at Boulton Market soon,” he said. The new Empress Market facility is expected to significantly reduce roadside parking, which has long contributed to traffic bottlenecks in the area. “The parking issue in the heart of Saddar leads to vehicles being parked on roads, narrowing streets and causing traffic jams. This initiative will help streamline traffic flow and provide convenience to citizens,” he remarked.
The project is part of KMC’s ongoing development campaign under the slogan ‘A New Day and Development Work by KMC’. Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) City Council Parliamentary Leader Karamullah Waqasi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader Dil Muhammad, and other elected officials were also present on the occasion.
Wahab stated his willingness to take over the existing Saddar parking plaza from the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) to ensure better management. “People face daily difficulties in this area, with parking being the biggest issue. I urge citizens to avoid parking on roads and to cooperate in making this project successful,” he said. “This is a practical step toward reducing traffic congestion.”
Outlining the broader development plan for the Empress Market, he said the municipality wanted to expedite work on the entire Empress Market project. “In the first phase, we are addressing the parking issue. The second phase will focus on improving space for meat vendors, and the third will upgrade the vegetable section.”
The mayor said the KMC’s development work reflected the commitment of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the Sindh chief minister to the people of Karachi. “We are working to fulfil our promises, and I request the public to support us in these initiatives,” he added.
Commenting on the ongoing water canal dispute, he reiterated the PPP’s position against the canals. “We supported the federal government unconditionally to ensure fair resource distribution. Cutting off one region’s water to benefit another is unjust. Food security is important, but not at the cost of our water rights. Punjab’s ministers mishandled this issue, and the prime minister should cancel the project,” he asserted.
He added that Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori had also been approached to advocate for Karachi’s rights with the federal government. “When I met the prime minister, I presented Karachi’s case. Soon, I will formally write to him, seeking a development package for the city — something the MQM has failed to deliver.”
Referring to other urban development efforts, he called for the railway land being currently used for wedding events to be handed over to KMC for the construction of an additional parking facility.
He also announced that the Boulton Market parking facility would open by June 30, while the Mina Bazaar underpass in Karimabad would be completed by August 30. The historic Denso Hall would be opened for the public by April 30, he said. He explained that development work was under way at the Hoti Market, Keamari’s fish and poultry markets, Korangi Causeway and Jam Sadiq Bridge.