Red Line project nears completion, says Sharjeel

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that work on the Red Line BRT project is continuing round the clock and University Road will be opened for traffic by the end of July.

He apologised to the public and acknowledged that citizens have faced temporary inconvenience due to the construction work, adding that the government had to take tough decisions.

He expressed these views while speaking to the media during an inspection of ongoing development work on the Red Line BRT. Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, CEO TransKarachi Zubair Channa, and other officials were also present on the occasion.

Sharjeel said that Karachi should have been the starting point of a motorway network, but planning did not reflect this priority. He added that Karachi is located at the far end of Pakistan and also faces a 20% water shortage issue.

He noted that the opening of Shahrah-e-Bhutto has provided major relief to citizens, saving travel time.

The senior minister said that Karachi has the highest number of healthcare facilities in Pakistan, and patients from across the country come here for free treatment. He also referred to GIMS Hospital in Gambat, where free and quality medical care is being provided.

Sharjeel further stated that Sindh's roads under federal jurisdiction are in poor condition, while the provincial government has improved road infrastructure across Sindh using its own resources, with work still ongoing.

He said the world's largest housing project is underway in Sindh, under which 2.1 million houses are being built for low-income families. He added that Sindh has invested $1 billion in the Thar coal project, which is generating affordable electricity benefiting the entire country.

He said that a terminal is being constructed on the Northern Bypass to resolve Karachi's heavy traffic issues. He added that people from across Pakistan come to Karachi for employment, and the city bears a significant burden of providing jobs and healthcare, which must be considered when making comparisons with other cities.

Responding to a question, he said that Captain (retd) Safdar has no political standing for him to comment on, and he does not wish to engage further in political discussion about him. He added that Safdar did not respect the sanctity of the Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum and used inappropriate language during election campaign.

In response to another question, he said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had a weak election campaign there, which is why he was sent.

He stressed the need to strengthen the federation and said development goals would be set after the federal budget.

On another question, Sharjeel said that no draft of the 28th Constitutional Amendment has been prepared and it is only speculation.