This year’s August witnessed the opening of an underpass in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar district, commissioned by the outgoing Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah.
On his final day in office, the former chief minister issued the directive. Murtaza Wahab, the Mayor of Karachi, officially inaugurated the ‘incomplete’ underpass a few days later. Although the underpass, costing Rs. 1 billion, was initially projected to take 18 months to complete, its construction began in March of this year. Surprisingly, five months after its announcement, the departing chief minister authorized its inauguration, sparking concerns about prioritizing political advantages over public safety. These concerns gave rise to rumors that the inauguration was a politically motivated attempt to take credit for an abandoned project.
As anticipated, the underpass in Karachi has proven to be a source of frustration for the city’s residents. An irate individual expressed discontent on their X account by posting a video highlighting the inadequacies in the design and construction of the underpass. The citizen lamented that driving at just 40 km/h results in significant discomfort, likening it to bouncing around in the car. Furthermore, they criticized the use of bricks, deeming it an unjustifiable squandering of public funds.
Gulistan e Johar underpass🛣
How can anyone in their right mind approve this?🤡
You cant even drive at 40kmph without jumping around in the car🎢
These bricks are an incredible waste of public money💸💸
Korangi with no roads feels the same🏜 pic.twitter.com/2A2I0XnSi2
— Yousuf M.Farooq (@YousufMFarooq) November 24, 2023
The substandard construction of the underpass has raised doubts about the proficiency of the provincial government, formerly led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), once again. Most electric buses purchased by the PPP government, costing billions of rupees, turned out to be grounded earlier. There are accusations against the former provincial government that it initiated projects without proper planning. Whether the provincial authorities will respond to public concerns remains unknown.
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