KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that “absence” of accurate maps of underground utilities and delayed relocation work by utility companies had emerged as major hurdles in the city’s development.
Addressing the Sindh Cities Forum 2026, organised by the Sindh Master Planning Authority (SMPA) in collaboration with NED University of Engineering and Technology and UN-Habitat to mark World Cities Day here, he said that correcting the existing situation in Karachi was a major challenge for consultants and urban planners.
Recalling that he grew up in Karachi and saw the metropolis’ expansion firsthand, Mr Shah said, “I do not think any other city in the world has expanded as quickly as Karachi has, nor has any city in the world been ruined by planners as quickly as Karachi has.”
“Preparing a master plan for a new city from scratch is relatively easier. Correcting the existing situation in Karachi is a major challenge for consultants and urban planners,” he said.
Says Sindh govt conducted GIS surveys to map water, power and gas lines
Mr Shah said that work on master plans for 31 cities, including Karachi and Hyderabad, was underway to ensure planned, sustainable and inclusive urban development. He said that international consultants had been engaged for Karachi’s master plan.
The CM urged the experts to provide recommendations not only for improving the city’s conditions, but also for ensuring effective implementation of the plan.
Highlighting delays caused by utility companies, the chief minister recalled that during construction of Shahrah-i-Bhutto, relocation of K-Electric infrastructure had delayed the work despite payment for shifting of power lines.
He said that utility companies and even the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation often took considerable time to relocate their networks.
“The absence of accurate maps of underground water, sewerage and electricity lines had also complicated development projects,” he said, adding that the provincial government had undertaken GIS surveys (geographic information system survey) to map underground utilities to a considerable extent.
The chief minister said that master planning was essential to address growing challenges of urbanisation, including unplanned construction, traffic congestion, water shortages, inadequate drainage and effects of climate change.
Referring to the 2020 monsoon flooding in Yousuf Goth, district West, the minister said that roads originally designed with proper carriageways, central islands and storm-water drains had subsequently been encroached upon. “Shops have been established on service roads, medians and drainage channels, undermining the original infrastructure,” he added. He acknowledged that successive governments, including his own, had made mistakes that contributed to the city’s present condition.
“Once a city develops structural problems, correcting them becomes extremely difficult,” the local government minister said, adding that the government could not resolve urban challenges without cooperation of residents, planners, builders, utility companies and other stakeholders.
Citing Sukkur as an example, he said that the city’s roads and drainage system had been improved over past seven to eight years, including the efforts through public-private partnerships.
He stressed that the traffic management and parking requirements must be incorporated into urban development plans, warning that allocating commercial shops on land reserved for parking further aggravated congestion.
He expressed appreciation for collaboration between the SMPA, NED University and UN-Habitat, saying that collective efforts were essential to making Sindh’s cities more liveable, resilient and economically productive.
Speaking on the occasion, Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that master plans for 17 cities had been completed while work on remaining 14 was in its final stages.
He said that the provincial government had so far issued notifications for master plans of nine cities — Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Mithi, Islamkot, Dadu, Nawabshah and Naushahro Feroze.
The LG minister said Sindh Cities Forum would provide an important platform for government institutions, universities, urban planners, experts and other stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop practical solutions for the province’s growing cities.
He emphasised that sustainable urban development required coordinated planning, public participation, efficient use of available resources and stronger cooperation between government departments, academic institutions, local authorities and private sector.
Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2026
