Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Sunday inaugurated the Munawar Chowrangi Underpass, officially opening it to traffic.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by elected representatives, senior government officials, officers and engineers of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), and a large number of residents.
The underpass, which connects some of Karachi’s busiest commercial and residential areas, is expected to significantly improve traffic flow and reduce travel time for commuters.
The project is approximately 500 meters long and has a 24-foot-wide dual carriageway to accommodate two-way traffic. The KDA completed the underpass in 16 months at a cost of around Rs2 billion.
Speaking at the ceremony, Nasir Hussain Shah said the underpass had been opened for public use, while its formal inauguration would be carried out later by Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
He said the Sindh government’s priorities included Karachi’s development, the construction of modern urban infrastructure, and addressing the city’s long-standing traffic problems. He added that multiple development projects were currently underway across the city.
The minister said funds had been allocated for the rehabilitation and construction of major roads, while town chairmen were implementing development schemes in their respective jurisdictions.
Responding to concerns over construction quality, Shah said complaints were being investigated and that negligence or substandard work would not be tolerated.
He also criticized what he described as attempts by some political elements to raise the issue of creating a new province, saying Sindh was a united entity that could not be divided.
Rejecting claims that Karachi was in decline, Shah said the current government had completed several flyovers, underpasses, roads, and other infrastructure projects. He also highlighted the removal of illegal marriage halls built on sports grounds, saying the move had restored recreational facilities for the public.
He added that if Karachi were truly unlivable, millions of people from across Pakistan would not continue to move to the city in search of employment, education, and better opportunities.
