Metro bus project — where does it stand? - Pakistan

E-Paper | July 26, 2026

Earlier it was the sit-ins and then Eid holidays that slowed down work on the 13.9km-long Islamabad section of the metro.

However, after a gap of three months, work has picked up pace. Authorities are confident that the project will be completed by the end of January 2015.

“We have extended the deadline by one month due to these political disturbances,” said Metro Bus Project Implementation Committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi.

In order to complete work in an effective manner, the Islamabad section of the metro bus was divided into five packages and bidding for each package was held separately.

Work on some packages, especially 3, 4 and 5, has just begun. “Due to security reasons, trucks bringing in construction material were not allowed into Islamabad, and this contributed to the delay,” said Chaudhry Amir Latif, contractor for package 3.

Work has faced the greatest delay at Peshawar Mor Interchange mainly because of mismanagement, as the contractor has not effectively mobilised machinery and manpower.

“The main problem is that the contractor is NLC which is not a builder itself so it has sublet the contract to a smaller contractor and mobilisation got delayed as the NLC finalised details with the contractor,” said an engineer affiliated with the project.

This picture shows the carpeting of the track on 9th Avenue in front of the Higher Education Commission. But the situation changes as we approach Peshawar Mor.

9th Avenue is completely closed at Peshawar Mor and those heading towards G-8, G-9, G-10, G-11 or F sectors have to take a turn at ATV point, then head for PTV-2 before turning towards Kashmir Highway.

Peshawar Mor interchange has also had its effect on Islamabad’s popular weekly bazaar.

The situation near China Chowk is not at all encouraging, as the contractor has only managed to make marking on the road where the metro bus would ply.

The contractor on this package of the project has been able to cover up for the time lost, and has built the tunnel through which the metro bus will pass from G sectors to Jinnah Avenue.

The situation then turns grim again as the extensions of the flyover on Jinnah Avenue has barely come out of the ground.

The last package of the metro bus service paints a sorry picture. Thanks to the sit-ins, work from D-Chowk to Pak Secretariat is still at ‘level 1’ and to complete work on this patch would be challenging for the contractor.— Photos by the writer

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2014

Pakistan

Kalbe Ali is a senior staff reporter for Dawn based in Islamabad, with nearly 20 years of field reporting experience. He covers a diverse range of topics, including the internet, IT and telecom sectors, as well as religious affairs.

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Bilal

Nov 02, 2014 03:06pm

The question to ask is - will this all be worth it?

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Bilal

Nov 02, 2014 03:07pm

The question to ask - will this all be worth it?

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Anarchist

Nov 02, 2014 03:14pm

Only in most corrupt countries like Pakistan someone like Abbasi who is indicted and involved in a huge corruption scandal is made head of a multi billion project. And the funny thing is that his only qualification is his links to Sharif family. But we dont expect any better from Sharif dynasty. No surprise. Any response from defenders of the Sharif empire?

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Saad Saeed

Nov 02, 2014 03:31pm

"Metro Bus Project Implementation Committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi." This single line pretty much sums up the tragedy of this nation.

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Sajjad Ali Gopang

Nov 02, 2014 03:39pm

Country has energy crisis and Government is wasting money on such useless works to straight its political owl.

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MBNaveed

Nov 02, 2014 03:57pm

I honestly had no idea Hanif Abbasi was heading this thing. Although I was hopeful of having quicker travelling between the two cities (being a regular commuter), this makes me wonder how safe and how well supervised this project is.

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Heart broken Pakistani in Dubai

Nov 02, 2014 04:42pm

Breaks my heart to read this "Metro Bus Project Implementation Committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi"...Are we such a nation who do not have a single qualified person to head this project besides, what is the use of spending billions on such a worthless project??? I live in Dubai and haven't been to any other country except UAE, one feels happy to see such organized public transport system here...they built separate bridges for Metro train however same roads are used by Metro buses, why separate bridges for the buses??? Can't we improve existing roads and have govt owned public transport buses instead??? Shameful...

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Shuaib Bhat

Nov 02, 2014 04:43pm

@Anarchist In a country like Pakistan where half the population is corrupt itself you have to be realistic and expect some sort of wrong doing. NS has taken many good steps as well. If you accept that he is *both* bad AND good only then will I take you seriously. Insafians talk like IK is an angel and has done wonders in KPK. He hasn't all my friends say KPK is the same. IK has Sheikh Rasheed, Leghari brothers, Chaudry brothers, etc. what do you have to say about that? IK is a hypocrite. Whilst at least NS isn't a "holier than thou" and is really working on getting things done! If iK cared about the people of Pakistan he'd be working day and night to help the people in KPK!!!

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Shuaib Bhat

Nov 02, 2014 04:49pm

@Anarchist My response is that NS is doing sth IK is doing as well. NS has Hanif who is corrupt. IK has Sheikh Rasheed, Chaudry Brothers, Leghari Brothers, Jahangir Tareen, 30 ex-PMLQ. I am willing to accept NS is wrong here. Are you willing to accept IK is wrong as well? NS and IK are two sides of the same coin except NS is 10x more mature, responsible and practical. He doesn't talk he acts. He has good intentions for Pakistan. Let him complete his term. I don't believe there has been systemic rigging. Remember I said *systemic* rigging. Nor does anybody else besides the Burger and Facebook jihadi class.

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Nov 02, 2014 05:04pm

Some reliable sources say that the cost of this project is over 6 times the cost of similar projects completed in India and more than 2 times the cost of similar projects completed in Turkey. Additionally it is obvious that the government had no alternative traffic and environmental protection plans which has resulted in traffic chaos and health issues for the residents of islamabad. Can the government do anything right? And without corruption?

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Ali Imran

Nov 02, 2014 05:06pm

@Bilal For those with cars...NO!

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Ihtesham Kayani

Nov 02, 2014 05:09pm

@ Anarchist, they can only swear in return of your query.

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Taj Wazir

Nov 02, 2014 05:13pm

@Sajjad Ali Gopang Sharif brothers are smarter than you think. They are not wasting money that's how they make money behind these mega projects. Get it?

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itsqashi

Nov 02, 2014 05:19pm

Great news for the people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. It was badly needed for twin city residence.

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Irfan

Nov 02, 2014 05:20pm

Metro bus instead of clean drinking water or good primary education for the masses. Where do we stand and what are our priorities Sharif brothers?

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Canadawala

Nov 02, 2014 05:40pm

@Bilal Yes it create Jobs and help the economy rolling.

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paki92

Nov 02, 2014 06:24pm

the case of NLC is really pathetic. the rates given by the said contractor to its sub contractor are really low..that is the reason no subcontractor is coming under it. At there rawalpindi package round about 40 box girders were failed bcoz their concrete strength was less. now coming to the peshawar morr package the main reason is mismanagement. the safety situation for workers is quiet pathetic.if this package would have been given to any contractor it would have been completed on time.

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Shakil Khan

Nov 02, 2014 06:34pm

for the similar cost and infrastructure one could go for real Metro - trains! Buses can world over can be driven on existing roads in bus lanes! ruined a perfectly green city and waste of tax payers money for sham personal glory.

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Mohammad Iqbal

Nov 02, 2014 07:30pm

Pakistan need industrial revolution and metro bus revolution. But the rulers know that they get kick backs immediately after awarding the contract whereas industrial revolution need lot of home work and brain work which they dont have.

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1947 ka Pakistani

Nov 02, 2014 07:48pm

We Islamabadi people should protest against this project because it is of no use.. ONLY the people commuting on 1-C route will benefit, but they already have wagons there.... This project should be restricted in Pindi for the people's benefit.. Islamabadi should chuck it out of the green city, that Nawaz is ruining ... There was no NOC, or Enviro Study conducted prior to the initialization of the project...

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Concerned Citizen

Nov 02, 2014 08:05pm

Pakistan Steel, PIA, etc are costing billions to the exchequer. Yet they don't give any benefit to the lower middle class. Whereas Metro Bus project is aimed mainly for the benefit of the lower middle class. Even if there is corruption, mismanagement and nepotism the end user would be the middle class and that is where i fully support this project. Let IK cry as much as he wants. The ordinary citizen will be the real beneficiary.

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Imran

Nov 02, 2014 08:15pm

@Anarchist Which is worse, monetary corruption or intellectual corruption? PTI has broken all bounds in being intellectually corrupt which is the source of all corruption to follow so they should be the last one to give lectures to others who are trying to do something productive (YES productive and NOT destructive like PTI's recent actions) for Pakistan. If you want to fix "corruption," come to polls, win elections and show us. Judging from PTI's performance in KPK, there is little hope of this happening even if by some "means" IK becomes the PM.

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Imran

Nov 02, 2014 08:17pm

@Irfan I am glad PTI has made both of these a priority in KPK. What a joke! And BTW, KPK government is also building a "jangla bus" in Peshawar if you were not aware. Those living in glass houses should not throw stones at others.

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Imran

Nov 02, 2014 08:19pm

The Dawn reporter for some odd reason has not mentioned the Rawalpindi part of the project. Is he not allowed into Punjab? Is this deliberate because I saw a tremendous amount of progress on the Murree Road.

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pakistani

Nov 02, 2014 09:58pm

Why are we wasting whole province resources on those few show case model projects just to fool the nation that how much nation is progressing.

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S. Ahmed.

Nov 02, 2014 10:21pm

Islamabad is now 'Paradise Lost'. What a shame...the best planned city in south Asia has fallen to the greed of the ruling elites. Islamabad won't be the same again.

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N. Siddiqui

Nov 02, 2014 10:26pm

All that was needed was about 70-100 buses running on the already widened roads. No need for elevated tracks in Rawalpindi and separate tracks in Islamabad, it has ruined and destroyed the whole 9th avenue and the Jinnah boulevard. Islamabad has lost the serenity and green belts which makes the city beautiful. What a Shame.

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Saba

Nov 02, 2014 11:59pm

@AW Please put forth your reliable sources or are you merely hurling baseless allegations like Imran Khan?

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Salman Ahmed

Nov 03, 2014 12:01am

The way I see it, metrobus project when complete will provide much needed relief to the poor masses. Work may be lagging behind at some points which is worthy of criticism, but the good being done as a whole should be rather encouraged.

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Salman Ahmed

Nov 03, 2014 12:03am

@Bilal Ask the poor masses, who are not online to answer your question. Approx. 200,000 people travel daily through Lahore metrobus at Rs. 20. I say that is an achievement as it is helping the poor. Good job PMLn

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Salman Ahmed

Nov 03, 2014 12:10am

@Irfan The Sharif brother have passed the free and compulsory education bill. look it up , the punjab government has taken upon itself to bear the fees for those who cannot afford. Google the bill and you may appreciate PMLN unless you are biased.

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samar

Nov 03, 2014 07:18am

Appreciate the good work of this govt stop the permanently nagging policy PTI show some character

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syed zahid hussain

Nov 03, 2014 10:28am

we are not in position to critisize the project because this project is public daring project and it will give remeady of huge trafic flowing on Murree Road.More over transport mafia influence will little bit over come.Mostly people going daily to Islamabad.Transport mafia should be given chance to compete with reasonable bussiness also.This project is not vote gaining project but it is public project who are faceing huge billing of electricity and faceing suigas shortage.Some time we are not cooking food at all:-)More over public project is not the project of ruling government this is not the beging of Mna and MPA.This propoganda is due to basic democracey goverment is not prevailing.Other wise this project is public own property.So my request to people of Rawal pindi be ready if any body involved to stop the the project.

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