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Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday acknowledged that successive governments, including his own, have made mistakes that have contributed to Karachi’s present condition, and stressed the need for effective urban planning to address the city’s longstanding challenges.
Shah said his provincial government is working on master plans for 31 cities to ensure planned, sustainable and inclusive urban development, with Karachi and Hyderabad among the major cities whose plans are being prepared.
He was speaking at the Sindh Cities Forum 2026 that was organised at the Golf Club’s Convention Centre by the Sindh Master Planning Authority (SMPA) in collaboration with the NED University and UN-Habitat to mark World Cities Day.
He said master planning is essential to address the growing challenges of urbanisation, including unplanned construction, traffic congestion, water shortages, inadequate drainage and the effects of climate change. According to the provincial minister for local government, housing & town planning, master plans for 17 cities have been completed, while work on the remaining 14 is in its final stages. The government has so far issued a notification for the master plans of nine cities: Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Mithi, Islamkot, Dadu, Nawabshah and Naushahro Feroze. The CM said work on the master plans for Karachi and Hyderabad is progressing rapidly. International consultants have been engaged for Karachi’s master plan, which, he acknowledged, would be a particularly challenging exercise, given the city’s existing urban conditions.
“Preparing a master plan for a new city from scratch is relatively easier. Correcting the existing situation in Karachi is a major challenge for consultants and urban planners,” he said, and urged them to provide recommendations not only for improving the city’s condition but also for ensuring the plan’s effective implementation.
Recalling his personal association with Karachi, he said he has witnessed the city’s rapid expansion. Its growth has been accompanied by serious planning failures, which have made subsequent efforts to improve urban infrastructure increasingly difficult, he added.
Referring to the 2020 monsoon flooding in District West’s Yousuf Goth, he said roads that had originally been designed with proper carriageways, central islands and storm water drains had subsequently been encroached upon, and shops had been established on service roads, medians and drainage channels, undermining the original infrastructure.
He acknowledged that successive governments, including his own, have made mistakes that have contributed to the city’s present condition. “Once a city develops structural problems, correcting them becomes extremely difficult,” he said, and added that the government cannot resolve urban challenges without the cooperation of residents, planners, builders, utility companies and other stakeholders. He cited Sukkur as an example of how sustained investment can improve urban infrastructure. He said the city’s roads and drainage system have been improved over the past seven or eight years, including through public-private partnerships.
Highlighting the delays caused by utility companies, he recalled that during the construction of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Expressway, the relocation of K-Electric infrastructure had delayed work despite payment for shifting its lines. Utility companies, and even the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation, often take considerable time to relocate their networks, he added.
Shah said the absence of accurate maps of underground water, sewerage and electricity lines have also complicated development projects. The provincial government has undertaken GIS surveys to map underground utilities to a considerable extent, he added.
He stressed that traffic management and parking requirements must be incorporated into urban development plans. Allocating commercial shops on land reserved for parking, he warned, further aggravates congestion and undermines the functioning of cities. He said the government has arranged funds for Karachi’s development despite the difficulties associated with undertaking construction work in a city with a population of around 25 million. He also referred to the vision of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to transform Karachi into a modern, smart city meeting international standards. The objective, he said, is to make the metropolis economically stronger and more attractive for business and tourism.
The CM said urban development should ultimately improve the everyday lives of citizens. The government is pursuing projects relating to roads, highways, bridges, public transport, parks, health care, education, water supply and drainage across the province, he added. He also mentioned the Sindh Peoples Housing Scheme, inter-district roads, improvements to the irrigation network, hospital and educational infrastructure, industrial development, sports facilities, market rehabilitation, plantation drives, and major water and sanitation schemes as part of the provincial development agenda.
Earlier, LG Minister Syed Nasir Shah said his department has been entrusted with the responsibility of urban planning in Sindh, and has established the SMPA to oversee city planning, development control and sustainable urban growth.
Shah said master planning provides a long-term framework for determining the location and development of residential and commercial areas, industries, roads, public transport, parks, hospitals, educational institutions and essential municipal services. He said the Sindh Cities Forum would provide an important platform for government institutions, universities, urban planners, experts and other stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop practical solutions for the province’s growing cities.
Both speakers emphasised that sustainable urban development requires coordinated planning, public participation, efficient use of the available resources, and stronger cooperation between government departments, academic institutions, local authorities and the private sector. The CM said the objective is to develop cities where all citizens can enjoy equal opportunities for progress, better services, security and a sustainable future. He expressed appreciation for the collaboration between the SMPA, the NED University and UN-Habitat, and said that collective efforts are essential to making Sindh’s cities more liveable, resilient and economically productive.
