• PPP chairman urges PM to ensure funding for K-IV project
• Inaugurates new Hub Canal project
• Murad says province in talks with Centre to increase water quota for Sindh, Balochistan

KARACHI: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has once again taken aim at the federal government — particularly Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — criticising his style of governance with remarks that when it comes to the development of Karachi, the famously fast-paced “Shehbaz Speed” becomes a sluggish “Shehbaz Slow”.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the new Hub Canal project on Wednesday, the PPP chairman openly expressed his disappointment, stating that PM Shehbaz did not give the country’s business capital, Karachi, the same importance he gave to his hometown, Lahore.

“We had hoped for ‘Shehbaz Speed’ when it came to the K-IV project, but instead, we got ‘Shehbaz Slow’,” he quipped while referring to his nickname Shehbaz Speed, which was often referred to the prime minister’s fast, efficiency-focused management style, especially in infrastructure and public sector projects.

“It cannot be that Lahore gets Shehbaz Speed while Karachi gets Shehbaz Slow. I will, therefore, specifically urge the prime minister to fulfil the promises made regarding the K-IV project and ensure that they are completed without further delay.”

The PPP chairman’s criticism came in the wake of the federal government’s budget allocation for the long-delayed K-IV water project, where only Rs3.2 billion was earmarked against the required Rs40 billion.

This stark shortfall has raised serious concerns that Karachi may be forced to wait another decade — or even longer — for the project’s completion.

‘Efforts on the extend canal’s benefits to Lyari residents’

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that water has remained a chronic issue for the people of Karachi and must be resolved on a priority basis.

He noted that alongside the construction of the new canal, renovation of the old Hub Canal is also in progress, which will further enhance the city’s water supply.

He added that the new canal, which is set to supply an additional 100 million gallons of water per day to Karachi, will serve districts Central, West and Keamari, while a PC-I has already been prepared to extend the project’s benefits to the residents of Lyari.

He further said that work was also underway, under the public-private partnership model, on a seawater desalination project.

He also claimed that for the first time, the local governments in Karachi and Hyderabad — both from the PPP — were serving the public instead of spreading hatred.

He said the people of both cities had grown politically mature and could now clearly identify those who previously thrived on divisive politics.

He said that the people of the two cities had already rejected “hate-mongers” in both local government and general elections. “The people of Karachi and Hyderabad have chosen progress over prejudice,” he said.

Slams Modi for ‘imitating Netanyahu’

Turning his guns towards India, the PPP chairman accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of imitating Israeli PM Netanyahu in relation to water.

He claimed that India had launched an attack on Pakistan’s water resources by planning to block the flow of the Indus River.

“Modi says he will build a dam on the Indus River and stop our water. We will show him that the people of Karachi know how to defend their river,” the PPP chairman asserted that Pakistan was ready to counter any aggression — even on the battlefield, if necessary.

He said that India had already faced defeat at the hands of Pakistan both militarily and diplomatically, and now, it was rattled by its own failures.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari vowed that Pakistan would ensure India respect the Indus Waters Treaty. “And if Modi refuses to abide by the treaty, I will take back all six rivers and give them to the people of Karachi,” he said to the roar of the crowd.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the project was a major gift for Karachi on Independence Day.

The new canal, he said, would bring an additional 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water to the city, doubling the capacity previously carried by the old canal.

He explained that the old canal could not transport even 60 MGD effectively, but the new infrastructure would overcome that limitation. “We built this canal within the fixed time and budget, without any cost escalation,” he stated.

The chief minister announced that the restoration of the old canal would be completed by December, further boosting the city’s water capacity to 140 MGD.

He added that the provincial government was negotiating with the federal government to increase Sindh and Balochistan’s water quota, citing improved water availability due to climate change.

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the new canal was built at a cost of Rs12.8bn in a record time of only nine months.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2025