• Rs3.5bn allocated for Yellow Line; Rs1bn for two underpasses in DHA; Rs575m for K-IV augmentation work and Rs1bn for S-III sewerage scheme
• Murad says estimated cost of Karachi’s overall 816 development schemes stands at Rs644.3bn

KARACHI: The Sindh government has said to have allocated a total of Rs108.1 billion for several Karachi development schemes in its budget for the financial year 2026-27.

The Karachi projects for which the government has made allocations relate to infrastructure development, transport, water and sanitation, health, education and other sectors.

In his budget speech during the Sindh Assembly session on Wednesday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that his government had accorded special priority to the city’s development in the budget.

Budget documents show that in the head of ‘Mega Project for Karachi City’, the Sindh government has allocated Rs420 million for a flyover from Airport Road to Star Gate; Rs525m for the right-turn underpass from Malir Halt to Sharea Faisal and Rs825m for another flyover at the Sir Shah Suleman Road crossing over Gujjar Nullah.

The government has also allocated Rs1bn for the construction of two underpasses at Khayaban-i-Shahbaz and Khayaban-i-Ittehad in DHA. The tentative cost of the two projects is over Rs2.8bn, as mentioned in the budget document.

Funds have also been allocated for the ongoing mega schemes of Shahrah-i-Bhutto-Korangi Causeway junction, the Azeempura flyover project and new interchanges linked with the Malir Expressway.

According to the budget documents, a sum of Rs1bn has been allocated for the Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan, commonly known as S-III. A sum of Rs575.6m has been allocated for K-IV augmentation work. Besides, the government also allocated funds for upgrading water pumping stations in Karachi’s East and Central districts, rehabilitation of the city’s trunk main network to reduce leakages, and construction of a new water supply line along the Lyari Expressway.

In the transport sector, the government has allocated over Rs3.5bn for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Yellow Line corridor.

The budget documents show the allocation for the financial year 2026-27 for BRT Red Line is 697m.

The government also allocated Rs10m for construction of six modern garbage transfer stations in Karachi — a project that has been pending since 2015. A sum of Rs10m is also allocated for upgrade of two landfill sites in Jam Chakro and Gond Pass.

The Sindh government has also allocated funding for the establishment of a Provincial Civil Services Academy at a cost of Rs1bn, a new Sindh Revenue Board training academy and office complex and improvement of commercial centres and markets across the city.

816 Karachi’s schemes

In his speech, the CM informed the house that Karachi’s development portfolio comprised 816 schemes with an overall estimated cost of Rs644.3bn.

“For the upcoming fiscal year, Rs100.19bn has been earmarked for Karachi-based projects, while overall allocations for 822 schemes, including citywide initiatives, amount to Rs108.1bn,” he said.

The chief minister said 167 ongoing projects costing more than Rs500m each and 110 mega projects valued at over Rs1bn were currently under implementation across the metropolis.

He said that investments in roads, public transport, water supply, education, healthcare and municipal services would help address Karachi’s long-standing infrastructure challenges.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2026