KATI launches major tree plantation drive on ZAB expressway

KARACHI: In a significant environmental initiative, the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) organised a high-profile ceremony to hand over 5,000 trees for plantation along the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway.

The event was attended by Mayor of Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab and Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi as chief guests, along with leading industrialists and city officials including KATI President Junaid Naqi, Deputy Patron-in-Chief Zubair Chhaya, Senior Vice President Ijaz Sheikh, Vice President Tariq Hussain, Former President Danish Khan, Salim-uz-Zaman, Sheikh Fazal-e-Jalil, Farrukh Mazhar, Chairperson of GFS Builders Irfan Wahid, Deputy Commissioner Nusrat Bhutto, SSP Korangi Tariq Nawaz and Administrator Korangi Naeem Sheikh.

Speaking at the event, Wahab highlighted the city administration’s efforts to allocate funds for industrial areas in the upcoming budget. “We are working to include dedicated allocations for industrial development in this year’s budget, as we have done in the past,” he said. He also shared that a letter has been sent to the prime minister seeking Rs7 billion for infrastructure development along the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway. He announced that the second phase of the expressway would be completed by April 30, with the third phase expected to be finalised by December 2025.

Wahab also provided updates on ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Jam Sadiq Flyover, which is expected to be completed by August 14, 2025, and the Korangi Crossing Bridge, scheduled to open by August 30. He underscored the city’s efforts to make the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway signal-free in order to ease traffic congestion. On the water front, he confirmed that Rs80 billion are being spent on water supply projects, and federal assistance is being sought to expedite the K-4 project.

Naqvi praised KATI’s initiative to undertake plantation on both sides of the expressway. “This step by KATI is commendable. It’s not just about planting trees -- it is about setting a precedent for sustainable urban infrastructure across Karachi,” he said. Naqvi also noted that a detailed PC-1 has been prepared for the uplift of the Korangi Industrial Zone, with groundwork expected to begin by June or July.

Junaid Naqi expressed his gratitude to the mayor, commissioner, and Irfan Wahid for their support. “This initiative marks a milestone. With support from the KMC, the Sindh forest department, and other agencies, we will maintain these plantations under a public-private partnership model,” he said. Naqi reiterated KATI’s commitment to green development, describing the project as a step towards sustainable progress in one of the world’s largest cities. “No development is sustainable without a better environment,” he added.

He also commended the Sindh government’s efforts in the healthcare sector. “We must improve our education system alongside infrastructure in order to truly uplift Karachi,” he remarked.