‘Apologetic’ CM Murad announces reconstruction of Karachi's University Road in 90 days

• Acknowledges hardships faced by Karachiites due to delay in completion of ADB-funded Red Line along the key arterial link
• Mayor Wahab says Sindh govt will finance rehabilitation of University Road as a separate project while Red Line construction continues
• Murad says stalled BRT work to resume in two to three days

KARACHI: In view of growing criticism and widespread inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of commuters on a daily basis, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while “apologising” to the people of Karachi, has announced that the deteriorated University Road will be reconstructed within 90 days.

While the under-construction Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line is an Asian Development Bank-funded scheme, the reconstruction of the University Road will be undertaken as a separate project funded through the provincial government’s own resources.

The move came days after the chief minister had himself expressed “embarrassment” over the inconvenience caused to road users due to delays in the completion of the BRT Red Line along University Road.

Talking to Dawn, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who accompanied the CM during his visit to the Red Line project on Sunday, said that the chief minister had taken the decision to reconstruct the University Road in response to public complaints and hardships, with the aim of providing relief to Karachi’s residents.

“And it should be made clear that this is not a BRT Red Line-linked initiative, as the Sindh government has decided to undertake it independently using its own funds, solely to provide relief to the public,” he said.

“The plan is to reconstruct University Road, which is used for regular traffic, from Safoora Chowrangi to Numaish, so that while work on the BRT Red Line continues, commuters do not face hardship and the road remains usable,” he said, adding: “The project will cover all aspects, from road construction to the installation of a proper drainage system, to ensure smooth traffic flow.”

CM visits Red Line site

The chief minister reviewed city development projects and also visited the site of the BRT Red Line.

Speaking to the media, he apologised to citizens for the delay in construction work on University Road. He assured them that the mixed-traffic lanes would be restored within three months.

He acknowledged the hardships faced by Karachi residents and said the government was committed to addressing their concerns and completing the project at the earliest.

He announced that the tender for the main corridor of Red Line’s Lot 2 would be reissued, adding that discussions had already been held with the FWO, whose officials had assured that construction activities would resume at the site within two to three days.

The chief minister said the mixed traffic corridor extends over approximately 12 kilometres and expressed hope that work on restoring the lanes would be completed within three months.

“The people have high expectations from the Sindh government,” he said, adding that although the Lot Two contract had been awarded four years ago, the quality of work had not been satisfactory.

Taking responsibility, the chief minister assured the timely completion of the project and said construction work would continue even during the upcoming Eid holidays to accelerate progress.

It may be noted that the Sindh government had recently cancelled the contract of a firm constructing the Red Line corridor from Mosamiyat to Numaish due to slow pace of work and unsatisfactory performance.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2026