Pakistan's urban neglect deepens as Karachi suffers from failed development promises

Karachi [Pakistan], December 28 (ANI): Karachi continues to face the burden of unfinished infrastructure projects, exposing deep governance failures and worsening public health conditions.
The city's long-promised development initiatives remain largely incomplete, leaving residents to suffer the consequences of administrative inertia, as reported by The Express Tribune.
According to The Express Tribune, one of the most glaring examples is the Bhutto Highway project, which links Qayyumabad to the M-9 Motorway.
Despite official assurances that the project would be completed by December 2025, progress remains partial.
Government briefings revealed that although the stretch between Qayyumabad and Qaidabad has been opened, only about 65 per cent of the remaining work remains to be completed, well behind schedule. Delays have also plagued the Sindh government's land record digitisation initiative.
The Board of Revenue had pledged in early 2024 that digitisation of land ownership records and their integration with e-registration and e-mutation systems would be completed within six months. However, nearly a year later, the project remains unfinished; even the digitisation of city survey records across Sindh has yet to be completed.
Karachi's housing sector reflects similar neglect. Hawksbay Scheme 42, launched in 1984 and spanning 6,000 acres, was intended to provide residential plots to more than 75,000 allottees.
Yet decades later, the area still lacks basic utilities, including electricity and water. Although the Lyari Development Authority recently stated it would issue leases, residents are still waiting for tangible progress, according to The Express Tribune.
Urban planning experts warn that such delays have serious consequences. Regional planner Dr Syed Nawaz-ul-Huda stated that poor coordination between federal and provincial authorities has stalled vital projects related to water supply, sewerage, and transport, all of which should fall under the purview of empowered local governments.
Beyond governance failures, public health has suffered severely. Medical experts report a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses due to dust, broken roads and overflowing sewage. According to doctors at major public hospitals, pollution-related ailments have surged, with increased demand for oxygen support as air quality worsens, according to The Express Tribune. (ANI)