Karachi Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Monem Zafar on Sunday criticised the abnormal delay in the construction of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, describing it as a source of misery and suffering for the citizens due to mismanagement and lack of planning on part of the government.
Speaking to media representatives on Sunday during a visit to the project site along University Road, he called for immediate restoration of the road for public use, acceleration of construction work, provision of alternative traffic routes and facilities for commuters and a transparent investigation into the project.
He said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was attempting to conceal its administrative failures behind large-scale development projects, adding that key schemes, including the K-IV water project, had also been plagued by delays and alleged corruption.
Zafar said the Red Line project, initially estimated at $503 million (around Rs79 billion), had become significantly more expensive while progress remained slow. “Despite the passage of four years, only 23 per cent of the work has been completed, and the situation has worsened due to contract disputes and ongoing litigation,” he remarked.
He urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon to inform the public about the revised cost, final completion deadline and causes of delay. The JI leader announced that his party would continue its struggle for the rights of Karachi’s residents through legal action, protests and public mobilisation.
He also said a membership campaign aimed at enrolling one million people would be launched across the city. He noted that although the Red Line project was intended to provide relief to the commuters, it had instead created severe hardships.
He recalled that the feasibility study for the Red Line began in 2016. After it was completed in 2019, and the project was formally launched in 2022 with a completion target of 2023. Zafar lamented that University Road, one of the city’s busiest arteries, had been severely damaged, causing daily traffic congestion, dust pollution, business losses and environmental hazards. “Karachi’s residents can no longer tolerate such neglect and will continue their struggle for their rights at every level,” he asserted.
