Given Pakistan’s history of politically motivated planning, the failure of the last five development blueprints for the city and Karachiites’ lived experiences of neglect, lawlessness and mismanagement, it is little wonder that the launch of the Greater Karachi Regional Plan (GKRP) 2047 has yet to spark enthusiasm or confidence among stakeholders.
Currently, the focus appears more on the odds than on the possibility of crafting an inclusive, viable, and integrated development plan that could truly deliver for the city and its residents. The business community is not yet on board, and many experts admitted they were unaware of the initiative.
Responding to queries, the chief minister’s office referred the matter to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). KMC head Mayor Murtaza Wahab was approached but did not respond before the filing of this report. Senior Sindh government officials, in turn, directed questions to the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), which they said has been tasked with the project.
KDA Director General Asif Jan Siddiqui struck an optimistic note, saying the government is committed to transforming the megacity and addressing challenges through a plan developed under the guidance of world-renowned urban planners, in collaboration with experts, stakeholders and residents.
Karachi’s new development plan faces serious doubts as critics reminisce about past, unimplemented plans and the city’s continued decline
Defending the hiring of a UK-based firm operating in Pakistan through a joint venture with a Lahore-based partner, Mr Siddiqui said all relevant rules and procedures had been diligently followed to ensure merit and transparency, without compromising quality. The plan, he stressed, would be grounded in local realities and a deeper understanding of Karachi — a city often described as ‘ungovernable’. “We aim to complete an inclusive, scientifically developed plan within two years, in collaboration with local experts, concerned citizens and stakeholders, and begin implementation by mid-2027,” he added.
Project Director Muhammad Arshad Khan, responding in detail, confirmed that the Greater Karachi Regional Plan 2047 is being prepared under the Sindh Local Government Department, with KDA as the executing agency. The PC-II was approved in February 2023 for Rs1.9 billion.
As to why a Lahore-based planner was engaged to develop Karachi, Mr Khan said consultants were selected through a transparent, competitive bidding process, publicly advertised via newspapers, the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority website, and KDA’s portal. The consortium led by Dar Al Handasah, in joint venture with Asian Consulting Engineers and Everon Consultants, was awarded the contract.
Mr Khan further emphasised that the group maintains a regional office in Karachi and has worked on several major local projects, including the Karachi and Water Sewerage Board’s Master Plan. Though progress was initially delayed by seven months — work originally started in 2024 — it was now on track, he noted. The plan is targeted for completion by June 2027, with implementations to follow legal clearances.
“The neglect and misgovernance that have pushed Karachi, one of the world’s largest metropolises, into the ranks of the least liveable cities must end. It is for anthropologists to explain how a city without reliable public transport, clean piped water, adequate housing or efficient social services, burdened by crumbling infrastructure, high crime, and ethno-religious-political tensions, still manages not only to function but to remain an economic powerhouse, contributing over 90 per cent of Sindh’s and a quarter Pakistan’s GDP,” remarked an expert while expressing his reservations over the new plan.
With a population of 23 million, Karachi ranks among the world’s most populated cities, “yet has failed to reap the dividends of its immense economic contribution” he lamented adding that chronic neglect burdens residents and is reflected in global assessments: in 2024, Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index ranked Karachi 918th of 1,000 cities, while in 2025 Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Livability Index scored it just 42.7 points out of 100, placing it 170th of 173 cities worldwide, based on healthcare, education, stability, infrastructure, and environment.
Since independence, Karachi’s growth has consistently outpaced the limited efforts to plan and manage its development. The last five plans for the city were abandoned midway: Swedish firm Merz Rendal Vatten (MRV) Plan 1952; the Greater Karachi Resettlement Plan 1958; The Karachi Master Plan 1975-85; The Karachi Development Plan 2000; and the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020.
Privately, some leaders from major political parties active in Karachi pointed to what they saw as an establishment bias against the port city. “I am almost convinced that a Lahore-centric mindset cannot deliver for Karachi or other marginalised regions,” one leader remarked anonymously.
Younus Dagha, former Sindh minister and federal secretary, expressed skepticism. “Master Plans for Karachi are routinely violated through unchecked land-use changes. The last effort, the Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020, was prepared with genuine effort and wide consultation but never implemented, treated neither as a Master Plan nor a Development Plan. Hiring a Lahore-based firm for Karachi Plan 2047 only reinforces doubts about its fate,” he remarked.
Shariq Vohra, former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he attended an event on the plan, shared his views and invited planners to the chamber. “In my opinion, it is a positive development that should be supported,” he noted.
The KDA recently held the first Open House for the GKRP at Frere Hall, but it failed to gain traction as no prominent political leaders or civil society activists attended the “public exhibition” for Karachi’s uplift.
“Karachiites don’t expect overnight miracles, but they do believe they deserve better — a safe, peaceful city with basic rights and amenities,” an expert remarked.
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, October 27th, 2025