PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday inaugurated the 39-kilometre-long Shahrah-i-Bhutto Expressway, linking Karachi’s Qayyumabad to the M-9 Motorway.

He also laid the foundation stone for the construction of an expressway project linking Karachi Port to Qayyumabad.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the expressway has six interchanges, six lanes and a 5-kilometre elevated section.

He said the PPP chairman had inaugurated the first 9-kilometre segment of the project in January 2025. The second 4-kilometre segment was inaugurated in June last year, and the remaining portion is now being inaugurated in May 2026.

CM Murad emphasised that the project took 4 to 4.5 years to complete, and that it could have been finished earlier had the government not prioritised avoiding the displacement of any population along the route.

“If you need to travel outside Karachi, whether to Sindh, Punjab or Balochistan, this project will reduce travel time by around an hour.”

He added that projects worth Rs1,700 billion were underway in Karachi, adding that he had approved over Rs70 billion worth of projects in the past three months alone.

‘Healthcare capital of the country’

Addressing the ceremony, PPP Chairman said, “If one compares the projects completed between 1947 and 2008, one will realise that the PPP is the only government that has undertaken meaningful development projects.”

“Due to the PPP, people from across the country want to visit, work and live in Karachi. We invite them to come here and contribute to this province and its economy,” he said.

He maintained that Karachi is not just the commercial capital of Pakistan, but also the healthcare capital of the country.

He said the Sindh government assumed administrative control of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Karachi after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

“I invite our political rivals to assess the hospital’s situation before and after the 18th Amendment. It has become one of the largest free healthcare institutions in the world,” Bilawal said.

Bilawal said that the Shahrah-i-Bhutto project was completed under a public-private partnership model.

During his speech, Bilawal said that the Pakistani nation was currently facing financial difficulties. “In particular, the Israel–US war with Iran is causing a global financial burden. Poor and hardworking people around the world are bearing that burden.”

“I believe that whoever is working for peace at this time is doing God’s work,” he said.

He thanked Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for their efforts to prevent war.

“We thank them because the PPP has always been against war, especially in view of the country’s financial difficulties,” he said.

He added that his party was also working to ease the financial burden. “We will create opportunities that provide financial relief.”

“We need to launch initiatives that create economic opportunities,” he emphasised.

He also said the Sindh government was leading the country in public-private partnerships.

“We have received global recognition for these partnerships. We have proven that the PPP can deliver on its promises. Through these partnerships, we will create opportunities for the entire nation.”

The PPP chairman also announced the establishment of the Sindh International Financial Centre in Karachi, adding, “It will help improve Karachi’s business growth.”

“Once this project is built, Sindh will compete with the rest of the world.”

He said Pakistan needed to improve its port infrastructure so that the economy could grow.

“The port authority is the government’s responsibility, but I will also try to develop a public-private partnership port,” he said.

Bilawal also said he wanted to ensure that Karachi plays a role in defence production.

“When I was foreign minister, I noted that we were not meeting demand in those years. Now, since the war with India in May, the demand for ‘Made in Pakistan’ defence production has increased.”

“Everyone wants to buy ‘Made in Pakistan’ defence equipment. So I want to establish a defence and security production zone in Karachi. The goal would be to manufacture defence equipment such as drones, ammunition and fighter jets,” he said.

The PPP chairman further added that these projects would also be implemented through public-private partnerships.

Bilawal said some critics in the country often criticise the PPP.

“I encourage my workers to ignore what they say. I am here, and I will not let any of their plans succeed.”

“It is the right of our rivals to criticise us. Right now, Sindh has the most democracy in the country. Karachi has the highest level of democratic freedom of all cities in the country,” he said.

He said the PPP considers criticism part of democracy. “In any other province, political rivals cannot criticise the ruling party.”

“I say that the problems in my city are mine. Anyone sitting elsewhere cannot solve these problems,” he stressed.

On May 14, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon announced that the government would fully open the Shahrah-i-Bhutto Expressway in Karachi to the public by the end of May.

Earlier this week, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab launched the Urban Forest project along the Shahrah-i-Bhutto, aiming to plant 100,000 saplings along the route.

He said it would play a significant role in environmental improvement, reducing air pollution and providing citizens with a healthier environment.