KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday announced that the provincial government was preparing comprehensive master plans for 31 cities across Sindh, including Karachi and Hyderabad, to promote planned, sustainable and inclusive urban development while addressing growing challenges associated with rapid urbanisation.
Addressing the Sindh Cities Forum 2026, organised by the Sindh Master Planning Authority (SMPA) in collaboration with NED University and UN-Habitat to mark World Cities Day at the Golf Club Convention Centre, the chief minister emphasised that effective urban planning was essential for improving civic infrastructure, managing population growth and ensuring a better quality of life for citizens.
He identified unplanned construction, traffic congestion, water shortages, inadequate drainage systems, encroachments and climate change as major challenges confronting cities across the province.
According to the provincial government, master plans for 17 cities have already been completed, while work on the remaining 14 is nearing completion. So far, nine master plans have been officially notified, covering Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Mithi, Islamkot, Dadu, Nawabshah and Naushahro Feroze.
The chief minister said preparation of master plans for Karachi and Hyderabad was progressing rapidly, with international consultants engaged to develop Karachi’s long-term urban development framework.
Acknowledging the complexity of planning for Pakistan’s largest metropolis, he observed that restructuring an already developed and densely populated city presented far greater difficulties than planning a new urban centre.
“Preparing a master plan for a new city from scratch is relatively easier. Correcting the existing situation in Karachi is a major challenge for consultants and urban planners,” he remarked.
He urged planners and consultants to propose practical, implementable solutions capable of addressing Karachi’s longstanding infrastructure deficiencies while accommodating its future expansion.
Recalling his personal association with Karachi, Murad Ali Shah said he had witnessed the city’s rapid transformation over the years. However, he acknowledged that uncontrolled expansion, weak enforcement of planning regulations and encroachments had created serious structural problems.
Referring to the devastating monsoon flooding of 2020 in Yousuf Goth, District West, he pointed out that roads originally designed with proper carriageways, central islands and storm-water drainage facilities had subsequently been occupied by illegal structures and commercial activities.
Shops and other establishments constructed on service roads, road medians and drainage channels had compromised essential infrastructure and contributed to urban flooding, he explained.
The chief minister candidly acknowledged that successive governments, including his own administration, had contributed to the deterioration of the city’s urban environment through planning and implementation failures.
He maintained that correcting such longstanding problems required collective responsibility and close cooperation among government institutions, residents, developers, utility providers and urban planning professionals.
Highlighting improvements in other cities, Murad Ali Shah cited Sukkur as an example of how sustained investment and coordinated development initiatives could transform urban infrastructure.
He said considerable improvements had been made to Sukkur’s roads and drainage network over the past seven to eight years, including projects implemented through public-private partnerships.
The chief minister also expressed concern over delays caused by utility companies during major infrastructure development projects.
Referring to the construction of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Expressway, he said the relocation of K-Electric infrastructure had delayed progress despite the government having made the necessary payments for shifting electricity lines.
Similar difficulties, he added, were frequently encountered with water and sewerage networks, where the absence of accurate records of underground infrastructure complicated construction activities.
To address the issue, the provincial government had undertaken Geographic Information System (GIS) surveys to map underground water, sewerage and electricity networks across considerable areas.
Murad Ali Shah stressed that effective traffic management, adequate parking arrangements and proper land-use regulations must become integral components of future urban planning.
He criticised the practice of converting land designated for parking into commercial shops, warning that such decisions worsened traffic congestion and reduced the efficiency of urban infrastructure.
The chief minister reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to Karachi’s development, saying resources were being allocated to improve infrastructure and essential civic services despite the challenges of undertaking major construction projects in a metropolis with a population of approximately 25 million.
Referring to Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s vision, he said the government aimed to transform Karachi into a modern, internationally competitive smart city offering improved infrastructure, economic opportunities and an attractive environment for business and tourism.
He emphasised that development should not merely be measured by the construction of roads, bridges or buildings but by its positive impact on people’s everyday lives.
The provincial government, he said, was undertaking development initiatives involving roads, highways, bridges, public transportation, parks, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, water supply and drainage systems throughout Sindh.
He also highlighted the Sindh Peoples Housing Scheme, improvements to inter-district roads, irrigation infrastructure, hospitals, educational facilities, industrial estates, sports infrastructure, markets and sanitation networks as important components of the government’s wider development programme.
The chief minister said the ultimate objective was to establish modern, environmentally sustainable and economically productive cities where residents could access essential services, enjoy equal opportunities and benefit from improved living standards.
He appreciated the cooperation between the Sindh Master Planning Authority, NED University and UN-Habitat, describing partnerships among government departments, academic institutions and international organisations as essential for developing resilient and liveable cities.
Earlier, Sindh Minister for Local Government, Housing and Town Planning Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said the provincial government had established the Sindh Master Planning Authority to strengthen urban planning, regulate development and promote sustainable growth across the province.
He explained that city master plans provided comprehensive long-term frameworks for residential and commercial development, industrial zones, transport networks, parks, healthcare facilities, educational institutions and essential municipal infrastructure.
Nasir Shah said the Sindh Cities Forum offered a valuable platform for policymakers, universities, urban planning professionals and other stakeholders to exchange ideas and formulate practical solutions to the growing challenges of urbanisation.
Both the chief minister and the provincial minister underscored the importance of coordinated planning, public participation, efficient resource management and stronger institutional cooperation in transforming Sindh’s cities into sustainable, inclusive and economically vibrant urban centres.
Sindh govt preparing master plans for 31 cities to ensure sustainable urban development: CM Murad
