KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday reviewed the overall progress of various projects across the province and issued firm directives to all the departments concerned to ensure an accelerated execution of all approved schemes. He stressed their timely completion and strict adherence to quality and standards.

The meeting, held at CM House, was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Saeed Ghani, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Jam Khan Shoro and Ziaul Hassan Lanjar; Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, Personal Secretary to the CM Agha Wasif, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Planning and Development (P&D) Board Chairman Najam Shah, P&D Director General Altaf Sario and others.

Najam Shah briefed the meeting about the development performance, ongoing flagship projects and institutional reforms.

Reviewing the provinces development trajectory, the chief minister said that Sindh’s development budget has increased significantly, from Rs55bn in 2008-09 to Rs1,018bn in 2025-26, including Rs367bn billion through Foreign Project Assistance (FPA) and Rs76 billion under the federal PSDP. During this period, over 13,000 development schemes were taken up and 9,193 projects completed. They pertained to roads, irrigation, WASH, education, health, agriculture and social sectors, the meeting was told.

Expressing his dissatisfaction over delays and cost overruns in some schemes, the CM Shah directed the departments concerned to prioritise completion and functionality over launch of new schemes. He warned that negligence, poor workmanship and weak supervision would not be tolerated.

Warns officials against negligence, poor workmanship and weak supervision

The chief minister was also briefed on major post-flood rehabilitation initiatives under the Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project (SFERP), including rehabilitation of 141 flood-affected roads spanning 825 kilometres, restoration of 500 water supply and drainage schemes and completion of cash-for-work programmes benefitting over 139,000 households.

He directed that climate-resilient standards under the ‘Build Back Better’ approach be strictly enforced.

Regarding urban sector interventions, the meeting was informed about the Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project (KNIP), under which roads, parks, drainage, sewerage, public spaces and street lighting have been upgraded, significantly improving mobility, safety and urban livability.

The CM stressed that such neighborhood-level projects must be expanded to other urban centres based on documented performance and impact.

The Sindh Municipal Services Delivery Programme (MSDP) was also reviewed, with briefings on improved water supply, wastewater management, and solid waste management services in Jacobabad.

Mr Shah directed local governments to ensure sustainability of assets, proper operation and maintenance after completion of projects.

Commending the P&D Department for introducing digitisation, online approvals, GPS-based tracking, QR codes and third-party monitoring, the CM stressed that technology must result in real-time decision-making and corrective action, not just reporting.

He also reviewed progress of urban master planning, directing that notified master plans be strictly enforced to control unplanned growth, protect public land and guide infrastructure investments.

He issued clear instructions that all departments must adhere to the approved timelines and cost limits; ongoing projects must be completed before launching new schemes; quality control and third-party validation must be strengthened; and quarterly progress reports must be submitted for personal review.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2026