Massive traffic gridlock in Karachi leaves commuters frustrated for hours

E-Paper | July 27, 2026

The citizens of Karachi on Monday suffered through prolonged traffic jams due to rain water accumulation and development work in different areas across the metropolis.

Inspector General Sindh AD Khawaja took notice of the traffic situation as the authorities appeared helpless in ensuring a smooth flow of traffic.

Due to cleaning work being performed on a drain at Wireless Gate on Sharea Faisal, traffic jams were witnessed in the area. Similarly, M A Jinnah road witnessed traffic congestion due to development work at Nawa-i-Waqt crossing.

Another main artery of the city, University Road, also suffered traffic blockage due to ongoing development work as the track from Hasan Square towards NIPA was closed for traffic.

In the metropolis’ Saddar area, citizens suffered traffic jams as sewerage water had inundated the road leading towards the airport.

Residents of Defence Housing Authority also suffered traffic congestion on Khyaban-i-Ittehad due to development work in the area. National Highway at Malir also witnessed traffic congestion due to sewerage water.

At the Chamra Chowrangi area of the metropolis, due to rain water accumulation, traffic was moving slowly, said traffic officials.

Furthermore, traffic police officials said that due to development work in Pak Colony, smooth flow of traffic moving towards Garden area was disrupted.

The IG also directed the traffic authorities to ensure smooth flow of the traffic and asked the concerned police stations to help the traffic police in the affected areas to open the roads for traffic.

Pakistan

Imtiaz Ali is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 25 years of experience in the field. His reporting portfolio encompasses crime, politics, and the provincial legislature, alongside coverage of the courts, government affairs, and the health sector.

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Zak

Jan 16, 2017 11:06pm

Pl bring back Mustafa kamal. Disband the traffic police.

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mansoor kamal

Jan 16, 2017 11:18pm

A commendable action from IG. SIndh

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Arjun

Jan 16, 2017 11:25pm

Now China will to Pakistan for regular traffic jam

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Jamal A.

Jan 16, 2017 11:27pm

Karachi's infrastructure is getting obsolete by the passing year. Even the maintenance is not being done up to speed. Accountability and transparency in the system should help for improvement. Skilled technocrats, educationalists, engineers: who are/have been long term Citizens of Karachi should be set up a committee to overview it and recommend to the city government.

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Houlbelat

Jan 16, 2017 11:34pm

The only solution to this chaotic traffic could be, rationing of roads by motorists by dividing them according to odd and even registeration number vehicles plying on odd and even dates.

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MuhammaD zafar iQbal

Jan 16, 2017 11:32pm

This is not new phenomena, it is just normal in Karachi, it will be persist in the city until some mass transit system may be established in the city .

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Essa Ayub Khan

Jan 16, 2017 11:51pm

Plz dont forget to vote for zardari nawaz and altaf,so greatful,

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Alba

Jan 16, 2017 11:59pm

Realistically, motorists in Karachi will need to do the best they can. If Karachi's mayors had built a metro train the traffic problem would not be as acute today. Obviously. A major subway project might be 15 years in the execution for all of Karachi. Meantime work from home as much as you can or move closer to your job or find a job closer to home. Buy a motorbike or ride a bicycle. Take a pedicab or taxi and make your business and sales calls on the way to work. Improvise. Adapt and overcome. It's Every Man for Himself. The strong will survive and the weak will perish.

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Jan 17, 2017 12:03am

There is no development works going on...the roads have huge potholes from before but after rain they are full of water...that's what is causing further road blocks...the current Gov does nor really care about it as they don't get votes from karachi anyway

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Numb

Jan 17, 2017 12:24am

Police are busy taking money from stalls and illegal parking. Traffic police are busy in challans to fill the yearly target of traffic challens

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anonymous

Jan 17, 2017 12:55am

wireless gate? since when gates started to have wires? :D

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Mohammad Ali siddiqui

Jan 17, 2017 01:01am

Today evening I left Clifton Teen Talwar at 7:15pm to return home. The traffic was blocked right from the Clifton Bridge and upon reaching signal close to Marriott Hotel, the traffic was moving at snail pace. After much difficulty I reached at Hotel Metropole turning to go strait to Shahrah-e-Faisal but it was all crowded with various sorts of vehicles. Interestingly, I also found heavy vehicles which I never saw on the road close to Hotel Regent Plaza. Upon reaching Shrahrah-e-Quaideen, I found that heavy trucks were moving slowly towards the delipilated road of Tipu Sultan. As I reached main Karsaz Road, I saw long queues of motorcycles, rickshaws, heavy water tankers moving very slowly towards the bridge which goes strait to Hassan Square area. I have not found rain water on the roads, nor any excavation work was going on right from Teen Talwar upto Hassan Sqare on the route which I choose to take to reach home. There were no traffic constables on the roads to control.

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Javed Rahman

Jan 17, 2017 01:45am

I was stuck for nine hours in traffic

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ABE

Jan 17, 2017 03:15am

LOL! "IG also directed the traffic authorities to ensure smooth flow of the traffic .." Talk about redundancies. It is like tell NS government to end corruption. Without practical solutions to ensure eradication of the problem - like taking command of the situation, devising strategy, traffic light controls, presence of traffic police; clearing stagnant water, coordination with municipality to open drainage system, clearing stalled vehicles, tow trucks etc... Is as useless a directive as wishing for the rain to stop.

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Aamir

Jan 17, 2017 03:57am

Ruling elites take serious only law and order disturbance in city because it affects revenue generation for them. Please administration wake up Karachiites suffering long and are reaching to billing point very soon.

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Khabboo

Jan 17, 2017 04:19am

Without proper sewage works, the country will get no where. SORT OUT THE BASICS PAKISTAN!!!. ( includes people who throw plastic bags in the gutter which block drains"

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PAK-OZ

Jan 17, 2017 04:45am

this city sounds like "moin jo daro" even ancient Egyptian civilization has drainage and rain water management system. buy yes, one need to be civilized first.

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ADNAN MAZHER khan

Jan 17, 2017 04:55am

We, the people living in Karachi, need help. In the absence of any plan or intention of local government to address the issue, such traffic deadlocks are routine matters for us. Please Help!!! We are suffering with traffic jams.

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Denali

Jan 17, 2017 07:37am

Poor planning and digging first before providing detours is the norm

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Vish

Jan 17, 2017 07:44am

This is common problem across the world in major cities

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Iqbal

Jan 17, 2017 08:07am

Mustafa Kamal must be looking at this now as the head of PSP.

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Rebirth

Jan 17, 2017 08:42am

Only solution is to start moving businesses, factories to sindh and balochistan en masse, and do it quickly so the burden of population is reduced. Its crazy.

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Adeel Shah

Jan 17, 2017 08:50am

The corrupt and incompetent PpP and MQM leadership has failed tremendously. It is now more then 2 months and university road is only half complete. I really we ponder is the public respeonsible for not throwing out this trash from Sindhi Govt. #PPPfixit

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bkt

Jan 17, 2017 09:13am

This is what happens when you miss work on Saturday and decide to make sure you get to work on Monday. Its also what happens when, knowing that there will be rain water to slow your progress, you don't plan ahead by either leaving work a little later to avoid the traffic or come very early in order to leave much earlier (if you have that option). Whenever it rains a lot in the summer, those who leave late meet with little traffic and those who go early get stuck in traffic and arrive at about the same time as those who left much later. People must learn from experience or else mistakes will be repeated.

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Ahsan

Jan 17, 2017 09:23am

In a cosmopolitan city like Karachi, traffic gridlock can not be totally eliminated but can definitely be controlled by using modern techniques. Provincial government should give top priority to ensure smooth flow of traffic during business hours

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N@qsh

Jan 17, 2017 09:24am

It happens everyday...there is absolutely no planning and no thought on traffic engineering.how will this continue with new cars rolling out everyday is beyond me !

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Muhammad Younus

Jan 17, 2017 09:35am

Well aware & educated class of our society is responsible for all this. At the time of elections, instead of running a campaign to encourage our society to cast vote carefully, we caste our own votes on the basis of cast, creed. sect, & shaksiat parasti. This results corrupt people coming into power again & again......Please make realize the power of vote and throw out these corrupt families......

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mobi

Jan 17, 2017 09:35am

Shame on Sindh Govt.. The largest city of Pakistan and 7th of the world is left like an orphan, 8 years of PPP and zero work has been done for Karachi... shameless looters and plunderers.

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Anila

Jan 17, 2017 09:46am

It happened due to irresponsible driving by commuters and not following common traffic laws.

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Batool Nasir

Jan 17, 2017 09:56am

@Denali Absolutely!

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Mustafa

Jan 17, 2017 10:22am

Karachi is an orphan no mama no papa

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Smart Solutions

Jan 17, 2017 10:23am

Massive traffic jams in Karachi. Really, what else you expect for years of poor planning and mismanagement. Those who siphoned off big money of the system are still lurking around. One can suffer, hope and pray for honest and efficient managers to plan and manage things better.

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MaGar^MUCH

Jan 17, 2017 01:06pm

Police is the department to collect MONEY.... they work more efficient than FBR

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Zulfeqaar Canada.

Jan 19, 2017 02:02am

@Javed Rahman Poor Mr.Rehman. Next time you make sure to vote for PPP.Who is in power for last eight years. Or,MQM who is running Karachi for the last thirty years.Thanks to our political system.

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khanm

Jan 19, 2017 10:59am

interesting comments.. DEMAND MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM... or else no one can change the status quo cos the city is not design to accommodate 2.50 crores

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