Karachi package will change the face of the city: Murad

Sindh’s chief minister said on Wednesday that the second phase of the Karachi package and completion of the first would change the face of the city. “The metropolis which has turned peaceful will also become beautiful.”

Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a meeting at the CM House to review the progress of the Karachi package. He said completion of the underpass at Submarine Chowrangi had taken a long time, adding that it should be completed at the earliest.

On this Local Government Minister Jam Khan told the CM that he had visited the underpass, saying that one of its tracks would be opened for traffic on November 15. Karachi Package Project Director Niaz Soomro also assured the CM that the track would be opened, vowing that with its opening, work on the other one would be started.

Briefing about the progress of the bridge at the Sunset Boulevard and Gizri Boulevard intersection, LG Minister Khan said the project would cost Rs700 million, adding that all its legal formalities had been completed. The chief executive directed project director Soomro to start work on the scheme by November 15, and expressed his wish to lay its foundation stone.

Soomro said the technical evaluation report of the project was on the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority’s website, assuring that the work would start in November.

Work on other projects to be started by November are construction of the Rs650 million road from Fawara Chowk to Garden via Abdullah Haroon Road and back to Fawara Chowk via Zaibunnisa Street, and construction of the Rs350 million road from Tank Chowk to the Super Highway via Thado Nullah. Prequalification for the projects has been completed.

Other schemes include reconstruction of the Rs280 million Tipu Sultan Road from Sharea Faisal to Karsaz, construction of the Rs1.5 billion bridge at the Tipu Sultan Road and Khalid Bin Waleed Road intersection at Shaheed-e-Millat Road, widening of the Rs270 million reconstruction of Stadium Road from University Road to Rashid Minhas Road, the Rs1.5 billion remodelling of 12000 Road Landhi Korangi, construction of two bridges over the road and the Rs240 million improvement plan for the roads at the Karachi Cantonment Railway Station.

CM Shah identified two projects that were the most important and would affect the image of the city: the Karachi Cantonment Railway Station and the Jinnah International Airport.

He said that when people from other cities and countries landed at the city’s airport or stepped out of the railway station, they saw the poor condition of the roads. He added that he had a beautification plan for all the flyovers and bridges of the city, and that the flyover at the airport was the top priority.

Work on some storm-water drains from Star Gate to Chakora Nullah on Sharea Faisal (Rs200 million) and from Hassan Square to the Lyari River (Rs70 million) will also be started by November. Shah directed Soomro to expedite the works under way as part of the Karachi package’s first phase.