Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday inaugurated the second phase of the first complete segment of the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway (Shahrah-e-Bhutto), describing it as a significant gift from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government to the people of Karachi.
He said the project would improve transportation, boost economic growth, and enhance industrial connectivity.
The chief minister, accompanied by provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon and Nasir Hussain Shah, and Senator Waqar Mehdi, drove along the newly opened section, paid the toll tax, and reviewed the project’s progress.
The 38.66-kilometre expressway features six lanes and a design speed of 100km/h. It connects DHA and Korangi with the M-9 Motorway near Kathore and includes six interchanges and 12 toll plazas. Currently, 80 per cent of the project has been completed.
The inauguration ceremony saw a large turnout of PPP supporters and members of the public, who raised slogans in support of the late ZA Bhutto and the chief minister. Shah reiterated that the expressway, being Sindh’s largest public-private partnership (PPP) initiative, is a transformative project for Karachi.
He directed officials to ensure the swift completion of the remaining section from Quaidabad to Kathore. The expressway originates 200 metres before the Jam Sadiq Interchange, and efforts are underway to improve connectivity from Korangi and DHA by constructing either a permanent interchange or a roundabout at the Korangi Causeway.
Highlighting the importance of infrastructure for progress, Shah said the government is focused on ensuring faster and safer urban-industrial linkages. While acknowledging delays due to utility shifting and local issues, he vowed that the remaining work would be completed by December 2025.
This inauguration follows the opening of the first phase — from Shah Faisal to Quaidabad — by PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on January 11, 2025. The government now plans to prioritise further upgrades to Karachi’s transport system, including the expansion of BRT lines and the introduction of electric buses. Shah added that the final segment up to Kathore will be inaugurated by Bilawal in December 2025. “I will seek an appointment with Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari after the anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s martyrdom,” he said.
Looking ahead, Shah revealed that a new link road from the port to Qayyumabad is being planned, with strong support from Karachi’s business community. “Some people have started acknowledging our efforts,” he said. “To those who still raise questions, I say: the people of Sindh are fully aware.”
In his address, Shah launched a strong critique of the federal government, accusing it of treating Sindh like a colony. “They dissolved the Public Works Department (PWD), which used to manage provincial development projects,” he said.
He alleged that while other provinces were granted projects and budgets, Sindh was ignored. “They now want to run Sindh’s affairs from Islamabad via a new company. I’ve made it clear; this will not be allowed.”
Shah warned that if all development projects are not devolved to the Sindh government, the PPP would oppose the federal budget in parliament. “You cannot run Sindh like a colony,” he said, suggesting that this centralised approach was being influenced by land mafias. “It seems this move is driven by land grabbers and the so-called ‘China-cutting mafia’.”
He urged the federal government to stop the “stepmotherly treatment” of Sindh. “If you continue this attitude, we know how to demand our rights,” he warned.
Addressing rumours about the expressway, Shah denounced what he called “baseless propaganda.” He referred to an incident where someone falsely claimed that dacoits were hiding along the road. “Such misleading stories should not be spread,” he said.
He also shared that PPP MNA Agha Rafiullah had written to him about a pressing issue, and he had already directed officials to resolve it.
