KARACHI:
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday inaugurated the 39-kilometer Shahrah-e-Bhutto Expressway and also started construction of its strategic extension from Qayyumabad to Karachi Port.
The PPP chief said the project is an important milestone for urban mobility, transport efficiency and economic connectivity of Karachi.
The inauguration ceremony of the Sindh government’s flagship infrastructure project was held at Kathore junction near M-9 highway, where Bilawal, accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, formally inaugurated the high-speed corridor to traffic.
Before the ceremony, Bilawal, again accompanied by Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah, reached Shahrah-e-Bhutto and personally drove on the expressway during its inaugural drive, also paying the toll tax himself.
The newly inaugurated Shahrah-e-Bhutto Expressway extends approximately 39 kilometers from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Kathore Bridge.
It has been developed as a six-lane controlled access corridor with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour. The project includes six interchanges, two main toll plazas, five weighing stations and one underpass, and was completed at a total cost of Rs 54,814 crore.
Addressing the ceremony, the PPP president said the completion of Shahrah-e-Bhutto reflected his party’s commitment to modern infrastructure, public welfare and long-term urban planning.
“Karachi is the economic engine of Pakistan and its future depends on modern connectivity, efficient transport systems and sustainable infrastructure,” he said. “Pakistan People’s Party does not believe in empty slogans; we believe in carrying out projects that improve people’s lives.”
He said Shahrah-e-Bhutto would significantly reduce the travel time between downtown Karachi and M-9 highway and at the same time ease traffic congestion on existing routes. “This highway is not simply a highway; it is a new economic corridor that will support trade, investment, industrial growth and job creation,” he added.
The PPP chairman further said that the Qayyumabad to Karachi Port extension project would strengthen connectivity between industrial zones, port infrastructure and national highways in the city.
“Karachi Port is the backbone of Pakistan’s trade economy and this expansion will provide a direct, efficient and modern route for both cargo movement and travellers,” he said.
