• Bench issues notices on plea against inordinate delay in BRT project
• Petitioner says scheme’s cost has escalated manifold due to mismanagement
• Highlights residents’ problems due to traffic bottlenecks as work drags on

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday issued notices to provincial government functionaries and others and sought time frame for completion of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Mohammad Abdur Rahman was hearing a petition filed against an inordinate delay in completion of the key transport initiative.

It also directed the transport secretary, the Sindh Mass Transit Authority and TransKarachi, the implementation agency for the project, to depute officers conversant with the project to appear before it at the next hearing.

It further asked them to file reports on Sept 9 regarding the time frame for completion of the Red Line project and also put the Sindh advocate general on notice for the next hearing.

The counsel for the petitioner argued before the bench that the respondents were jointly and severally responsible for the construction of the project on University Road, but it had been substantially delayed at a huge cost to the public exchequer.

He also asserted that, being a resident of the area, the petitioner had been aggrieved for the last eight years as he had had to endure the negligence of the respondents.

Asif Iqbal petitioned the SHC and submitted that the project was announced in 2017 as part of the larger “Karachi Breeze” network, presented as a flagship solution to the city’s acute transportation crisis, and was designed to span around 27 kilometres from Malir Halt to Numaish via University Road.

He asserted that the initial cost of the project was around Rs79 billion, but due to persistent delays and mismanagement the estimated cost had now escalated to Rs103 billion.

The petitioner maintained that after commencement of work in early 2022, the project was initially scheduled for completion by 2023, which was later pushed to 2024 and has subsequently been extended to the end of 2026.

He also argued that even the revised timeline appeared to be wholly unrealistic as the project continued to progress at a snail’s pace and various factors had been cited by officials to justify these delays, including disputes with contractors, safety stoppages, rising construction costs due to depreciation of the rupee, difficulties in land acquisition, relocation of utilities and coordination failures between implementing agencies.

The petitioner further maintained that the respondents’ failure to adopt a phased execution plan or to provide workable alternatives had compelled him and other residents to endure prolonged traffic bottlenecks even on adjoining roads.

He sought directives for the expeditious conclusion of the project and asked the SHC to declare that the continued inaction of the respondents constituted a failure of legal duty.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2025