KARACHI: City Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab has set an ambitious deadline for the city’s development drive, directing officials of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to complete all ongoing schemes and submit their completion reports before May 30 — a move that could see nearly 139 road projects wrapped up while work on more than a hundred additional schemes moves swiftly toward completion before the end of the current fiscal year.

The directive, issued during a review meeting at the KMC head office on Saturday, signals a major push to accelerate infrastructure development across the city.

If the timeline is met, residents could begin witnessing tangible improvements in roads and civic infrastructure across multiple districts within the next three months.

Chairing the meeting, the mayor reviewed the progress of development schemes currently being executed under various heads, including the Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (Click) projects, Grant-in-Aid schemes, the Provincial Annual Development Programme (ADP) and the District ADP.

Dissatisfied with pace of work, Wahab directs KMC to fast-track over 230 projects

Municipal Commissioner Karachi Ibrar Jaffar presented a detailed briefing on the physical and financial progress of the projects, highlighting the pace of implementation and upcoming targets.

“The development activities across the city have gained momentum, and citizens are beginning to feel the positive impact of ongoing initiatives. However, the current pace of work remains below expectations and must be significantly accelerated,” a statement issued after the meeting quoted the mayor as saying.

“Development schemes are not merely about issuing tenders or allocating funds; they represent our commitment to delivering better facilities and services to the people of Karachi. All chief engineers and concerned departments are directed to fast-track work on ongoing schemes and ensure that completion reports are submitted before May 30,” it added.

The statement said that the meeting was briefed that more than 100 development schemes are currently underway across the city, while 139 new road development projects are also in the pipeline.

The mayor instructed departments to ensure the swift completion of ongoing works so that new projects can commence without delay. He, it added, also assured officials that financial resources for development are fully available.

According to the mayor, the Sindh government is extending complete support for Karachi’s development initiatives, while Municipal Utility Charges and Taxes (MUCT) collected by KMC are being utilised specifically for infrastructure rehabilitation and improvement across the city.

The mayor reiterated that the city administration is committed to delivering development and bringing visible improvements to Karachi’s infrastructure.

During the meeting, KMC financial advisor Gulzar Abro briefed the mayor on the allocation and release of funds for development projects, stating that additional disbursements are expected in the coming days and that funds will be released without administrative hurdles.

The meeting was also attended by Director General Technical Services Tariq Mughal, chief engineers and other senior officials of the KMC.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026