The Sindh government inaugurated the 9.1-kilometer partial stretch of the Malir Highway, which is part of a larger 39-kilometer project expected to be completed in 2025.
The project was officially inaugurated by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who attended the ceremony along with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other senior PPP officials, reported ExpressNews.
This new highway, which connects Qayyumabad to Shah Faisal, has been named Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Expressway in honor of the late PPP leader.
The highway, once fully operational, is expected to ease traffic congestion on Karachi’s roads, providing a direct connection to major industrial areas and the city’s existing road network.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah described the Malir Expressway as the largest public-private partnership infrastructure project in the province and the country.
He explained that the total cost of the project is around 55 billion rupees, with the Sindh government’s contribution being around 32 billion rupees. Commercial banks, development finance institutions and public-private partnership jointly financed the remaining Rs 23 billion.
The 39km stretch of Malir Highway will start at Korangi Creek Avenue and extend to the Malir River.
Once completed, it will serve as an alternative route to Shahrah-e-Faisal and a link to the Karachi-Hyderabad Expressway (M-9) near Kathore. This road will significantly reduce the traffic load on the congested urban roads of Karachi.
Murad Ali Shah further highlighted that once the highway becomes fully operational by 2025, it will provide faster and more efficient access to industrial areas, thereby boosting economic activity in the region.
