KARACHI : Director General Karachi Development Authority (KDA) Asif Jan Siddiqui has said that the last master plan for Karachi was being formulated in 2020 but since then, the city has evolved considerably and new challenges have emerged that were not envisaged earlier. “To address these realities and meet the city’s growing needs up to 2047, the Sindh Government decided to update the 2020 Master Plan, leading to the formulation of the Greater Karachi Regional Master Plan 2047, which will define development priorities and guide future infrastructure decisions”, he stated.
Speaking at a meeting during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), he informed that the master plan, being developed through foreign consultants, will serve as the guiding framework for all future development and infrastructure decisions.
The meeting was attended by Vice Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Jawed Bilwani (via Zoom), President KCCI Muhammad Rehan Hanif, Senior Vice President Muhammad Raza, Vice President Muhammad Arif Lakhani, Chairman KCCI Subcommittee on Upliftment of Karachi Nusair Siraj Teli, Former President Younus Muhammad Bashir and members of the Managing Committee.
President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Muhammad Rehan Hanif presenting crest to Director General Karachi Development Authority (KDA) during his visit to KCCI. Senior Vice President KCCI Muhammad Raza, Vice President KCCI Muhammad Arif Lakhani, Chairman Upliftment of Karachi Subcommittee Nusair Siraj Teli, Former President KCCI Younus Muhammad Bashir, Project Manager David Gundray and others are also seen in the picture.
DG KDA Asif Siddiqui emphasized that all key stakeholders, including KCCI, have been given special importance in the planning process. “KCCI has been included in two of the most important committees formed under the Greater Karachi Master Plan,” he said, ensuring that its input and recommendations form an integral part of the decision-making process.
Highlighting KDA’s financial constraints, he noted that while the Sindh Government provides a monthly grant of Rs. 40 crore, salary obligations alone amount to Rs. 53 crore, leaving a shortfall of Rs. 13 crore, which is met through revenue from plot transfers. “Due to financial limitations, we are unable to clear post-retirement dues or initiate projects independently,” he said. “Although KDA possesses the expertise and machinery, we can only undertake projects specifically funded by the Government of Sindh, such as underpasses or overhead bridges.”
He concluded that numerous KDA projects worth billions of rupees are currently underway, all funded by the Sindh Government. “There was a time when the federal government also supported Karachi’s development,” he remarked, “but at present, it is solely the Sindh Government that is financing all major development works in the city.”
Vice Chairman BMG Jawed Bilwani, who attended the meeting via Zoom, drew attention to the issue of encroached KDA plots, emphasizing that while the KDA already has an Anti-Encroachment Cell, there is a pressing need for accelerated and transparent action. He mentioned that he had earlier discussed this matter with DG KDA to explore practical ways and means to retrieve such plots. “It is indeed encouraging to see that work in this regard has already commenced,” he noted, “but we are keen to learn about the progress made so far, particularly how many plots have been successfully recovered and what concrete plan of action is being pursued by KDA to address this challenge.”
Bilwani further highlighted that the Traffic Engineering Bureau, which operates under KDA’s jurisdiction, has become largely inactive, leading to worsening traffic congestion across the city. He pointed out that the maintenance and installation of traffic signals in Karachi also fall under KDA’s purview, and the matter is being regularly discussed to ensure the activation of all dysfunctional traffic signals at the earliest.
Expressing confidence in the new DG KDA, Bilwani stated that Asif Jan Siddiqui’s past record of dedicated service in various departments stands as proof of his competence, sincerity, and hard work. “We are confident”, he added, “that he will continue to demonstrate the same zeal and commitment in revitalizing the KDA and improving its performance.”
President KCCI Muhammad Rehan Hanif, while welcoming Director General KDA, stated that the Karachi Chamber had constituted the Subcommittee on Upliftment of Karachi last year and entrusted its Chairmanship to Nusair Siraj Teli, son of late Siraj Kassam Teli, who throughout his life remained one of the most ardent and fearless advocates for Karachi. “We decided to assign this important responsibility to Nusair Teli with the hope that he will carry forward the legacy of his late father and continue to raise a strong and united voice for the betterment of Karachi through this subcommittee”, he remarked.
Seeking insights into the functioning and jurisdiction of the KDA, KCCI President requested DG KDA to share comprehensive details about the Greater Karachi Regional Plan 2047, which, despite being widely discussed, remains little known in terms of its objectives and implementation framework.
Referring to the city’s acute housing shortage, he recalled that development schemes such as Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Surjani Town were launched long ago, yet no new large-scale housing schemes have been announced despite Karachi’s massive population growth. “More such housing and development schemes are urgently needed,” he stressed.
He further stated that Karachi, which contributes 67 percent to the national exchequer, over 90 percent to the provincial revenue, and nearly 52 percent of the country’s exports, is not seeking charity but simply demands recognition and fair returns commensurate with its economic contribution.
Chairman of KCCI’s Subcommittee on Upliftment of Karachi, Nusair Siraj Teli, expressed that the business community has long felt that Karachi has been neglected and left to suffer like an orphaned city. However, with the appointment of Asif Jan Siddiqui as DG KDA, a renewed sense of hope and optimism has emerged among Karachiites for the city’s revival and improvement.
He pointed out that while the KDA is in the process of formulating the Greater Karachi Regional Plan 2047 through foreign consultants, the prevailing dilapidated state of Karachi demands immediate and urgent action on a war-footing basis. “As a leading industrialist, I have numerous opportunities to relocate elsewhere,” he remarked, “but my deep emotional attachment to Karachi keeps me committed to this city.”
Nusair Teli emphasized that Karachi is truly a ‘Mini Pakistan’, contributing over 67 percent to the national exchequer and nearly 90 percent to the provincial revenue. It remains the only city where people from all regions of Pakistan, speaking diverse languages and belonging to various ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, live together. Yet, despite its unmatched economic and social significance, Karachi continues to suffer from chronic infrastructural decay and administrative neglect.
