KARACHI: Mayor Murtaza Wahab laid the foundation stone of a major infrastructure initiative in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Friday and said the Rs1.6 billion road rehabilitation project will provideg relief to the hundreds of thousands of commuters who rely on this route every day to connect with the city’s key arteries, including access to the airport, Sharea Faisal and the Korangi Industrial Area.

The project will reconstruct and upgrade the key stretch from Pehlwan Goth Road to Habib University and onward to Race Course Road in Safoora, creating a modern dual carriageway equipped with drainage, sewerage and street lighting facilities.

Once completed, the corridor is expected to significantly improve connectivity and traffic flow for thousands of residents and commuters in the eastern parts of the city.

The initiative is being widely viewed as a crucial and long-awaited intervention, as the Pehlwan Goth corridor had remained in a severely deteriorated condition for more than a decade.

Mayor Wahab lays foundation stone of Rs1.6bn Pehlwan Goth road project

The broken and potholed road had become a constant nuisance for residents, leading to severe traffic congestion, flooding during rains, and a noticeable decline in surrounding real estate values due to poor infrastructure.

Talking to reporters after laying the foundation stone, Mayor Wahab said that this project would improve traffic corridors in the East district and is an important step towards strengthening the city’s infrastructure. He said that once the project is completed, traffic flow in the area will improve and citizens will benefit from better travel facilities.

“Under the project, a dual-track road, approximately 4.26 kilometres long, will be constructed from Pehlwan Goth Road to Safoora. The project includes a 36-foot-wide modern road, along with a modern drainage system for rainwater disposal and the installation of sewerage lines to effectively address the issue of water accumulation in the area,” he added.

The mayor was accompanied by Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad, KMC City Council Parliamentary Leader Karamullah Waqasi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader Dil Muhammad, elected representatives and officials.

He explained that the pipelines of different diameters are being laid to improve the sewerage system. The project will also include modern street lighting, with more than 200 electricity poles and LED lights to be installed so that traffic movement remains safe and smooth even at night.

“The completion of this project will provide significant relief to residents of Safoora and surrounding areas and help reduce traffic pressure in District East,” he said.

“The development projects aimed at improving roads and infrastructure across the city will continue in phases to provide better facilities for the people of Karachi. Hundreds of thousands of people live in this area and the deteriorated condition of the main road was a longstanding issue for residents,” he explained.

“I can assure the people of Karachi with confidence that they will clearly see the results of development projects this year,” he said. “Development of Munawar Chowrangi underpass is going on at a rapid pace while Karimabad underpass will be opened for traffic immediately after Eid. Carrying out development work in a large city like Karachi is not easy but currently projects are underway in all 25 towns and seven districts of the city. The results would emerge one after another.”

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2026