Sindh chief minister admits past governments, including his own, helped ruin Karachi’s planning
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has admitted that successive governments, including his own, made mistakes that helped leave Karachi in its present state. He spoke on Saturday, 31 October 2026, at the Sindh Cities Forum 2026 in Karachi, an event held to mark World Cities Day.
The forum was organised by the Sindh Master Planning Authority with NED University and UN-Habitat. Shah said the province is working on master plans for 31 cities, with Karachi and Hyderabad among them, and that international consultants have been engaged for Karachi’s plan.
“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.
Shah pointed to encroachment as one of the clearest examples of what went wrong. Referring to the monsoon flooding in Yousuf Goth, in District West, in 2020, he said roads there had been designed with proper drains, but shops were later built on service roads, medians and drainage channels. He also said slow utility companies had delayed projects, and that the lack of accurate maps of underground lines had complicated development work.
Why it matters
Karachi is Pakistan’s largest city and its economic engine, home to around 25 million people, according to Shah. Its problems — unplanned construction, traffic congestion, water shortages and poor drainage — affect daily life for millions.
The admission matters because it came from the chief minister himself. Shah said that once a city develops structural problems, correcting them becomes extremely difficult. The News reported that, according to the provincial local government minister, master plans for 17 cities have been completed, work on the remaining 14 is in its final stages, and notifications have been issued for nine cities, including Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas.
What happens next
Work on the master plans for Karachi and Hyderabad is progressing rapidly, Shah said. The stated aim is to turn Karachi into a modern, smart city that is economically stronger and more attractive for business and tourism. The real test will be whether the new plans are enforced — stopping encroachment on drains and roads — rather than joining earlier plans that were never fully carried out.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.thenews.pk/print/1446213-world-cities-day-cm-admits-his-others-govts-contributed-to-karachi-s-current-state (The News, 1 November 2026)
- https://english.capitalnewspoint.com/2026/10/31/master-plans-for-karachi-and-hyderabad-under-preparation-says-murad-ali-shah/ (Capital News Point, 31 October 2026)
