A 9.1-kilometre section of Karachi’s Malir Expressway, part of a 39-kilometre mega project slated for completion in 2025, has been inaugurated by the Sindh government.
The inauguration ceremony was led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), alongside Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other senior PPP officials, according to Express News.
Named the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Expressway in tribute to the late PPP leader, this newly opened segment connects Qayyumabad to Shah Faisal. Once fully operational, the expressway aims to ease Karachi’s traffic congestion by linking key industrial zones with the city’s road network.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah described the project as the largest public-private partnership infrastructure initiative in Sindh and Pakistan. He detailed the project’s cost at approximately Rs. 55 billion, with the Sindh government contributing Rs. 32 billion and the remaining Rs. 23 billion funded by commercial banks, development finance institutions, and public-private partnerships.
Spanning 39 kilometres, the expressway will extend from Korangi Creek Avenue to the Malir River, serving as an alternative to Shahrah-e-Faisal and connecting to the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9) near Kathore.
Murad Ali Shah highlighted the expressway’s role in reducing urban traffic and boosting economic activity by providing faster, more efficient access to industrial zones. Full completion is expected by 2025.
