SHC seeks timeline for completion of Karachi’s University Road

The Sindh High Court has sought a timeline for the completion of the University Road with a direction to the Advocate General Sindh to submit a detailed response at the next hearing.

The order came during the hearing of a petition challenging the sealing of the BRT Red Line Lot-2 office. The petitioner’s counsel told the court that multiple contractors were operating at the site without clarity, raising concerns over the awarding of contracts.

The Advocate General informed the court that the contract for BRT Red Line Lot-2 would be reassigned after the notice period ends, adding that, for now, work related to drainage and road restoration is underway.

The petitioner’s lawyer argued that public statements by the media, Karachi mayor and government ministers suggested the contract had already been terminated, and that new entities, including FWO, had been brought in.

Justice Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro remarked that University Road is one of the city’s main arteries and that citizens are facing severe difficulties. He observed that such a contract would have been terminated much earlier if it were elsewhere.

The court was further told that while 16 stations were planned under the BRT Red Line project, only one station design has so far been finalised.

According to the Advocate General, the CEO of TransKarachi has projected the project’s completion by 2028. The court, however, suggested forming a commission to determine the causes of delays.

The court directed the Advocate General to clarify at the next hearing when University Road will be completed, and adjourned proceedings until May 4.