Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani has stated that in the Sindh government’s budget for 2025-26, of the total Rs 131.9 billion allocated under the Local Government Department, a significant Rs 104.5 billion has been earmarked for development schemes in Karachi.
In addition, billions more will be spent on Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Karachi Development Authority (KDA), and other mega projects to be built in the city.
The Local Government Minister disclosed this on Saturday while taking part in the ongoing general discussion in Sindh Assembly on the newly presented provincial budget.He criticised the Muttahida Quami Movement, saying the same old MQM used to raise the slogan of dividing Sindh while being part of various Sindh governments—from Jam Sadiq to Arbab Ghulam Rahim. “Why did they not get a two-thirds majority resolution passed back then under the Constitution (for creating a new province in Sindh)?
The reality is that MQM keeps selling the narrative of Sindh’s division to maintain relevance. Every now and then, they revive this narrative to sell their political ‘product’,” he said.He added that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto parted ways with Ayub Khan’s cabinet on principle and went on to form a political party, while parties formed during the eras of Zia and Musharraf cannot be compared (with PPP). “Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto embraced martyrdom in defence of the constitution, democracy, and the people.
Hence, one should think twice before criticising them.”Saeed Ghani also demanded an end to K-Electric’s practice of collective punishment, where paying consumers suffer due to the defaults of others. He said he had asked the Sindh Chief Minister to rein in K-Electric and abolish the unjust system that punishes bill payers for the actions of power thieves.Ghani said that the Pakistan Peoples Party had spent billions on development in those Karachi areas where it did not even have a single councillor over the past five years.
“The most development has been carried out in District Korangi and District Central because we consider this city and province as our collective responsibility.”He stated that only in District Korangi, mega development projects worth billions have been executed and more are ongoing. “Under annual development programmes for the Local Government Department, Rs 131.9 billion worth of projects have been proposed—of which Rs 104.5 billion are Karachi-specific,” he said.
He further said that, for the first time during the previous financial year, 424 uplift schemes were completed in Karachi that is an unprecedented milestone.On the K-IV water supply project, Ghani said delays were caused due to the former federal governments’ failure to release their share of funding. “Now the Sindh government has resumed work on K-IV project with the cooperation of the World Bank and the federal government. God willing, it will be completed soon.”He added that the repair and expansion of the Hub Canal, being funded by the Sindh government, is in its final stages, with the inauguration scheduled for 14 August 2025.
This will supply the city with an additional 100 MGD (million gallons per day) of water. Multiple other water schemes are also progressing rapidly.On sewerage infrastructure in the city, he said work on Treatment Plants TP-1, TP-3, and TP-4 is underway, alongside dozens of other projects at the levels of the Water and Sewerage Corporation, towns, and union councils.Ghani highlighted completed and under-construction multi-billion-rupee projects for District Korangi, including Shahrah-e-Bhutto, Korangi Causeway, and Jam Sadiq Bridge. Numerous roads are also being constructed across the district.
“Large-scale projects have been allocated for Karachi, but unfortunately, some opposition members from Korangi seem unaware of them,” he remarked. He added that five mega projects and eight KDA schemes were underway in Karachi with over Rs 20 billion fully allocated.Over Rs 1 billion worth of schemes have been designed specifically for Karachi’s business zones.Ghani pointed out that nowhere in the budget documents does it suggest that only PPP-won areas received development funds. “Despite clear facts, if someone still says nothing has been allocated for Karachi, I won’t call them liars—just uninformed.”
He added that billions have been allocated for Karachi under other Sindh government departments as well including Rs 10 billion for NICVD, Rs 11.7 billion for Jinnah Hospital, and funds for Indus Hospital and NICH. “Rs 4 billion have been allocated for the Trauma Centre and Rs 21 billion for SIUT—totalling Rs 70–75 billion for Karachi overall.”Responding to remarks from an MQM female MPA who had said “Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui is our red line, and PPP is finished,” Ghani responded, “MQM didn’t boycott the local body polls—you ran away from the polls because you knew you would lose badly.”
Addressing MQM directly, he said, “I urge my MQM friends to move beyond the era of gunny-bagged bodies. Refrain from instigating hatred.”He noted that most of the tax collected from Karachi goes to the federal government. “Ask the federal government—where your two leaders are ministers—why they are not initiating schemes for Karachi.
We are not part of the federal government.”He criticised Bilqis Mukhtar’s argument regarding constitutional provisions for new provinces, saying: “Yes, Article 239 of the Constitution allows for new provinces, but only after a two-thirds majority resolution from the concerned provincial assembly. During the tenure of Jam Sadiq, Ali Mohammad Mahar, Arbab Rahim, and Liaquat Jatoi, MQM had a majority. Why didn’t you pass such a resolution then?”He concluded that all stakeholders in Sindh agreed that no new province should be formed. “MQM claims Sindh is our mother, yet talks about dividing it. In the past, they used fear and hatred to damage the province. That’s how they keep selling their political product.”He warned, “If we leave behind a legacy of hatred, what will happen to future generations? Politics doesn’t last forever; one must eventually retire. Let’s reduce hatred so we may have peace in our hearts and a clear conscience in the hereafter.”Responding to MPA Owais Gujar’s claim that people don’t vote for PPP in Karachi because they hate the party, Ghani said, “Owais Gujar once lived in my constituency. He was given a PTI ticket which was later withdrawn. At least have the courage to speak the truth in this house. The claim that PPP never received votes from Karachi is baseless—PPP was the largest party in Karachi in the 1970 general elections.”
