Faisalabad roads finally set for overhaul after year-long deadlock

After nearly a year of suspension, road rehabilitation work in Faisalabad is set to resume as the Metropolitan Corporation (MC) has ordered the release of maintenance and repair (M&R) funds.

The development comes following the transfer of former commissioner Maryam Khan and the posting of Raja Jehangir Anwar as the new commissioner and administrator of MC Faisalabad.

The projects had remained stalled due to a prolonged tussle among PML-N parliamentarians, ticket holders and local body representatives over the allocation of more than Rs12 billion in MC deposits.

Insiders revealed that sitting and former legislators were vying for a larger share of the funds, lobbying both at the district and provincial levels.

The conflict deepened when a former MNA, related to the Sharif family, allegedly secured a major allocation through political connections.

Rival factions lodged complaints at Jati Umra, which led to the cancellation of those funds by the then commissioner and the freezing of MC's development deposits.

As a result, citizens bore the brunt of neglected infrastructure, including broken roads, urban flooding, poor street lighting, damaged sewerage systems, and frequent waterlogging during rains.