HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) held its budget session for the fiscal year 2025-2026 at the Mumtaz Mirza Auditorium (Sindh Museum). It was chaired by Mayor Kashif Ali Shoro.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Mayor Sagheer Ahmed Qureshi, Municipal Commissioner Zahoor Ahmed Lakhan, council members, senior officers and a large number of staff. Shoro said in his address that the Pakistan Peoples Party had entrusted the HMC with the responsibility to serve the people, and the administration is working tirelessly to fulfil this trust.
“We are proud to present the third budget of this council. In just two years the financial affairs of the corporation and the city’s overall situation have improved significantly.” He said that alongside the HMC’s own resources, they are also executing mega projects with the cooperation of the Sindh government to modernise and beautify Hyderabad.
He announced that development works worth Rs2 billion have been carried out through the HMC’s savings, and a significant amount has been allocated in the new budget for further development works.
He highlighted the establishment of Hyderabad’s largest park, the Hassan Ali Afandi Park, on 14 acres, a model park at Pakka Qila, ongoing works at the Nursery Park, and a major project to transform the Shaheed-e-Millat Park on Autobahn Road into the most beautiful park in Sindh, while the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Park is also being developed in Guddu.
He also announced a 200-acre graveyard at Ganjo Takkar equipped with proper sanitation facilities, a mosque and a park. He said that four water filtration plants are being established to provide potable water to hundreds of thousands of residents in Latifabad, Qasimabad and other areas.
He also said construction work on Abdul Sattar Edhi Ring Road is progressing to improve connectivity between Kotri, Qasimabad and other areas. Ring Road will not only ease travel but also strengthen canal and river embankments, he added.
He announced the construction of dual carriageways along Pinyari Canal to enhance the city’s infrastructure and boost property values. Other development projects include a bridge near the Government College University, road works in Bahar Colony, the expansion of three bridges on Autobahn Road, and a new drainage system at the Darya Khan Pumping Station to divert wastewater directly to the sea, protecting canal water from contamination.
The mayor also shared plans for eight new public libraries across Hyderabad, and the installation of street lights from Qasim Chowk to the Isra Hospital. He reiterated that no liabilities were left in the fiscal year 2024-25.
He presented the 2025-26 budget and the revised budget for 2024-25. The estimated income for 2025-26 stands at Rs5.53 billion, while estimated expenditures, including salaries, pensions, street lights, civil defence, disaster management and development works amount to Rs5.53 billion. The budget was approved by majority of the council.
The council also approved other agenda items, including repair and maintenance tenders under the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules, the reconstruction of the HMC’s office behind the Ponam Pump, and the auction of contracts for 2025-26.
The session also offered Fateha for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, other democracy martyrs and the Pakistan Army personnel who laid down their lives defending the nation.
The deputy mayor and other council members highlighted local issues and ongoing projects in their respective areas. A documentary showcasing the HMC’s completed and ongoing development projects was screened on a large projector during the session.
