Federal govt says Green Line project halted over Karachi mayor–contractor row

Federal govt spokesperson says row over NOC between Karachi mayor, contractor does not fall under Centre

KARACHI:

The controversy over the abrupt suspension of the Green Line project deepened further as the federal government distanced itself from responsibility, saying: “The matter lies between the Karachi mayor and the contractor.”

Clarifying, the federal government's spokesperson Barrister Raja Ansari said the issue stemmed from objections raised by the Karachi mayor over the contractor’s no-objection certificate (NOC).

He noted that the Centre remained committed to providing transport facilities to the people of Karachi and had already released funds for the project.

The federal and Sindh governments are in contact regarding the multi-billion project, said Ansari, adding coordination with the local government and the Karachi mayor does not fall under Centre.

He said, “The federal government, in cooperation with the Sindh government, had accelerated work on the Green Line extension,” adding, “Construction from Numaish to Jama Cloth was progressing well.”

The spokesperson added that he personally inspected the project a few days ago and called on the mayor to clarify the nature of his objections.

Karachi mayor stops Rs30b Green Line project

 

Earleir this week, work on the Green Line Phase-II corridor project—stretching from Guru Mandir to Municipal Park— came to a halt due to a dispute between the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL), a federal government entity.

The disagreement led Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab to order the suspension of ongoing development work, citing procedural violations.

KMC stopped the federally funded project, valued at Rs30 billion, on the grounds that PIDCL had not obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the municipal authorities before commencing the work.

The project, a key infrastructure initiative under the federal government’s Karachi development plan, is considered critical to easing urban mobility in the city.

However, PIDCL officials strongly contested KMC's action, stating that the required NOC had already been secured prior to the commencement of the project. They argued that halting a federally sanctioned project without written notice and on the basis of verbal orders was unacceptable and counterproductive.

According to PIDCL, if the mayor or KMC had any reservations, they should have formally communicated through a letter requesting the production of the NOC, which the agency would have readily provided.

PIDCL further claimed to be in possession of an NOC issued on October 12, 2017, bearing the signature of the Superintendent Engineer of KMC’s Engineering Department (I&QC). The agency expressed strong dissatisfaction over the suspension of work.

Meanwhile, KMC officials maintained that no valid NOC had been issued for the second phase of the Green Line project, and the decision to halt construction was taken on the explicit instructions of Mayor Murtaza Wahab.

The matter has reportedly escalated to a point where a meeting is expected between Mayor Wahab and senior PIDCL officials, including CEO Waseem Bajwa and General Manager Shafi Chhachhar, to resolve the impasse.

Following KMC’s intervention, the contractor at the site has ceased operations and withdrawn staff and equipment until further notice.