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

The inauguration ceremony of Phase III of Shahrah-e-Bhutto was held in Karachi today, after which the road was opened to the public up to the 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, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, members of the Sindh cabinet, MNAs, MPAs 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, the PPP had delivered more development projects for Karachi than any other party.

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

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

He said Karachi offered free and quality healthcare facilities due to his party’s policies, adding that people from across the country wished to settle in the metropolis.

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

Responding to criticism of the 18th Amendment, Bilawal invited his political opponents to compare the condition 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 healthcare services across Sindh, adding that treatment of international standards was being provided free of charge.

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

“As Benazir Bhutto’s son, I have completed this project,” he said, adding that the PPP had demonstrated its ability to complete major infrastructure schemes.

Bilawal said Shahrah-e-Bhutto had been constructed under a public-private partnership model, adding that the project had been completed in the same way as the Thar coal initiative.

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

Referring to the economic situation, the PPP chairman said financial difficulties were continuing to increase, while the burden of global conflicts was also being borne by ordinary people.

He said the effects of tensions between Iran and the United States were being felt by the public in the form of higher 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 people of Pakistan would face serious difficulties.

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

He said the government was continuing efforts to address public issues and added that the Sindh government was providing subsidies to farmers through the Kissan Card scheme as well as assistance for motorcycle riders.

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 motorway project that would provide “tension-free travel” to commuters across the country.

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

The chief minister said the road had been named after the PPP, whom he credited with giving the country its nuclear programme.

CM Shah said Shahrah-e-Bhutto would be opened from Qayyumabad to the M-9 motorway, facilitating smooth traffic movement for people travelling from different parts of the country.

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

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

The chief minister said Bilawal had also laid the foundation stone for the Qayyumabad-to-port section of the project, which would be completed under a public-private partnership at an estimated cost of Rs65 billion.

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

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

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

Referring to criticism faced by 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 Rs1.7 trillion were currently underway in Karachi, including schemes valued at Rs528bn being carried out through foreign funding.

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

The chief minister said the PPP expected to secure more votes in the next elections, claiming that the party had received its highest-ever electoral support in the 2024 polls.

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

Responding to criticism against the party, he said those claiming that the PPP did not work should “look at Shahrah-e-Bhutto”.

He said the Lyari Expressway had taken 16 years to complete and required the relocation of thousands of residents, while Shahrah-e-Bhutto would facilitate traffic movement from across the country.

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

Special Assistant for 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 project partners and said the Sindh government had placed its trust in the team, while Chairman Bilawal had regularly pushed for progress on the project.

According to him, Shahrah-e-Bhutto Phase III was completed at a cost of Rs65 billion, while another approximately Rs65b would be spent on the Qayyumabad-to-port section.

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

He said that if Karachi residents were dissatisfied 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 MNAs and MPAs from Karachi and expressed confidence that the PPP would also win the next local government elections.