Bilawal inaugurates 39km signal-free Shahrah-e-Bhutto, launches port corridor project

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday inaugurated the 39-kilometer signal-free Shahrah-e-Bhutto connecting Qayyumabad with the M-9 highway and laid the foundation stone of the Qayyumabad Corridor project from Karachi Port.

The groundbreaking ceremony of Phase III of Shahrah-e-Bhutto took place today in Karachi, after which the road was opened to the public up to M-9 Kathore Bridge.

Bilawal attended the ceremony along with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Among those present at the event were Sindh Assembly Speaker Awais Qadir Shah, senior PPP leaders Nisar Khuhro and Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Sindh cabinet members, MPs, MLAs and government secretaries.

During the ceremony, the PPP Chairman also laid the foundation stone of Shahrah-e-Bhutto Phase II, which will connect Karachi Port through the corridor.

Addressing the ceremony, Bilawal said that since 2008, PPP had completed more development projects in Karachi than any other party.

He said that although he has inaugurated development projects across the country, inaugurating projects in Karachi brought him “special happiness” since he was born and brought up in the city.

The PPP chairman said Pakistan Steel Mills were also established under former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, adding that Shahrah-e-Faisal and Lyari Expressway were among the major projects proposed to the city by the PPP.

He said Karachi was providing free and quality healthcare facilities due to his party’s policies, adding that people from all over the country were keen to settle in the metropolis.

“I invite them wholeheartedly,” he said, describing Karachi as the economic and health capital of Pakistan.

Responding to criticism of the 18th Amendment, Bilawal called on his political opponents to compare the situation of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases before and after the constitutional amendment.

He said the PPP government had expanded a network of free and quality health services across Sindh, adding that treatments meeting international standards were provided free of charge.

The PPP chairman said he remained committed to completing the unfinished mission and struggle of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

“As the son of Benazir Bhutto, I delivered this project,” he said, adding that the PPP had demonstrated its ability to deliver large infrastructure projects.

Bilawal said Shahrah-e-Bhutto was built under a public-private partnership model, adding that the project was carried out in the same manner as the Thar coal initiative.

He said it was the responsibility of the government to resolve the problems faced by the country, Sindh and Karachi.

Referring to the economic situation, the PPP chairman said that financial difficulties continue to increase, while the burden of global conflicts is also borne by ordinary citizens.

He said the effects of tensions between Iran and the United States were being felt in public opinion in the form of rising fuel and electricity costs.

Those working for peace and a ceasefire were “doing God’s work”, he said, adding that if the conflict continued, he feared the Pakistani people would face serious difficulties.

Bilawal said prayers were offered for the efforts of the field marshal and the prime minister’s team to achieve a ceasefire, expressing hope that the peace efforts would succeed soon.

He said the government was continuing its efforts to resolve public issues and added that the Sindh government was providing subsidies to farmers through the Kissan Card program as well as assistance to motorcyclists.

Shahrah-e-Bhutto reflects PPP vision, says CM Murad

Earlier, addressing the ceremony, CM Shah congratulated the people of Pakistan on the completion of Shahrah-e-Bhutto, describing it as a modern highway project that would provide “tension-free travel” to commuters across the country.

He said the project was among the projects envisaged for Karachi under the Rs121 billion development package announced by Benazir.

The chief minister said the road was named after the PPP, who he credits with giving the country its nuclear program.

CM Shah said Shahrah-e-Bhutto would be opened from Qayyumabad to M-9 highway, thereby facilitating smooth flow of traffic for people traveling from different parts of the country.

He said the project took about four to four and a half years to complete, adding that efforts were made to ensure no one was displaced during construction.

“Such speed of work is rarely seen in Pakistan,” he said.

The chief minister said Bilawal also laid the foundation stone of the Qayyumabad-port section of the project, which would be completed under a public-private partnership at an estimated cost of Rs 65 billion.

He expressed hope that the next phase would be completed before the next general elections and said that all traffic linked to the Karachi port would eventually be shifted to the corridor.

Describing Shahrah-e-Bhutto as a difficult undertaking, Shah said the project was bigger in length and width than the Lyari Expressway.

He said the government aimed to complete the next phase within two and a half years.

Referring to criticism leveled at the PPP, the chief minister said expectations from the party remained high because it was in government.

“People complain to the PPP because they consider it their own party and also expect solutions from it,” he said.

Shah said development projects worth Rs 1.7 trillion were currently underway in Karachi, including projects valued at Rs 528 billion completed with foreign funding.

He noted that Karachi was a city of over 20 million people and said resettlement issues often caused difficulties for affected residents, who naturally expressed their concerns.

The chief minister said the PPP hoped to get more votes in the upcoming elections, saying the party received its highest ever electoral support in the 2024 elections.

During the ceremony, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also praised the project, saying that the PPP leadership was fulfilling the promises made to the people of Karachi, adding that President Bilawal frequently inquired about the progress of the projects in the city.

Responding to criticism leveled against the party, he said those who claimed that the PPP had not worked should “turn to Shahrah-e-Bhutto”.

He said the construction of Lyari Expressway took 16 years and required displacement of thousands of residents, while Shahrah-e-Bhutto would ease traffic movement across the country.

Wahab added that the PPP frames policies for the entire country and is not limited to the areas surrounding the GT Road.

Special Assistant on Public-Private Partnership Naveed Qamar described the occasion as “a matter of pride”, saying that while Phase III had been inaugurated, the foundation stone for the stretch from Qayyumabad to the port had also been laid and work on the project would begin immediately.

He thanked all partners of the project and said that the Sindh government had placed its trust in the team, while President Bilawal had been steadily pushing for the project to move forward.

According to him, Phase III of Shahrah-e-Bhutto was completed at a cost of Rs 65 billion, while another around Rs 65 billion would be spent on the Qayyumabad-port section.

PPP Karachi Division Chairman Saeed Ghani said the Sindh government was carrying out hundreds of development projects in Karachi, adding that critics had failed to recognize the work being done.

He said if the people of Karachi were not happy with the PPP, the city would not have elected a PPP mayor. He added that for the first time in history the party had secured such a large number of MLAs and MPs from Karachi and expressed confidence that the PPP would win the upcoming local body elections as well.