Rs660m Hyderabad flyover hits legal roadblock

SHC bars PIDCL from awarding contract as petitioners challenge project's cost, environmental impact

HYDERABAD:

A Rs660 million flyover planned at Labbaik Chowk in Latifabad has run into a legal hurdle, with the Sindh High Court (SHC) restraining the federal government's Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL) from finalising the contract.

The court's order followed a petition filed by three private citizens, Muhammad Adnan, Abdul Jabbar and Muhammad Ahsan Mughal, seeking cancellation of the project over concerns about its environmental impact and potential to worsen traffic congestion.

Their counsel, Advocate Ayatullah Khuwaja, argued that the traffic problem could be addressed through a Rs70 million signal instead of an expensive flyover. He also questioned the absence of consultation with the Sindh government and district administration, as well as the lack of a public environmental hearing.

Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon had also urged PIDCL to cancel the tender, citing technical concerns, limited road width and the risk of worsening congestion.

The Sindh government had approved Rs230 million in 2024 for traffic signals at Labbaik Chowk, Hussainabad and Shahbaz Building intersections.

MQM-P, whose legislators pursued the flyover, maintains it is necessary to ease congestion. The SHC has sought replies from federal and provincial governments within three weeks.