Bilawal Inaugurates Shahrah-i-Bhutto Expressway, Groundbreaking for Karachi Port Extension
KARACHI – Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday inaugurated the newly completed 39-kilometer Shahrah-i-Bhutto Expressway and performed the groundbreaking of its strategic extension from Qayyumabad to Karachi Port, describing the project as a “historic milestone that will transform Karachi’s urban mobility, economic connectivity, and transport infrastructure.”
The inauguration ceremony was held at Kathore Interchange near the M-9 Motorway, where the PPP chairman, accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, formally opened the high-speed corridor for traffic.
Before the ceremony, Bhutto-Zardari arrived at Shahrah-i-Bhutto with CM Shah and personally drove his vehicle on the expressway during its inaugural journey, also paying the toll tax.
Addressing the ceremony, the PPP chairman announced three additional game-changing mega initiatives aimed at ensuring sustainable economic development: the construction of a seaport at Keti Bandar under a public-private partnership model, the establishment of the Sindh International Financial Center, and the creation of a special defense production zone in Karachi to cater to domestic needs and exports.
He also expressed hope for the success of ongoing diplomatic efforts led by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif aimed at ending the Iran war.
“Karachi is the economic engine of Pakistan, and its future depends on modern connectivity, efficient transport systems, and sustainable infrastructure,” he said. “The PPP does not believe in empty slogans. We believe in delivering projects that improve people’s lives. This expressway is not merely a road — it is a new economic corridor that will support trade, investment, industrial growth, and employment generation.”
Shahrah-i-Bhutto, he said, would significantly reduce travel time between central Karachi and the M-9 Motorway while easing traffic congestion on existing roads. The extension project from Qayyumabad to Karachi Port would further strengthen connectivity between the city’s industrial areas, port infrastructure, and national highways.
“Karachi Port is the backbone of Pakistan’s trade and economy, and this extension will provide a direct, efficient, and modern route for cargo movement and commuters alike,” he added.
The newly inaugurated Shahrah-i-Bhutto Expressway stretches approximately 39 kilometers from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Kathore Bridge and has been designed as a six-lane controlled-access corridor with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour. The project includes six interchanges, two main toll plazas, five weigh stations, and an underpass, completed at a total cost of Rs54.814 billion.
Launched in May 2022, the project has an estimated benchmark traffic capacity of over 23,800 vehicles daily, while approximately 17,000 vehicles are already using the Qayyumabad-to-Quaidabad section on an average day.
The PPP chairman also performed the groundbreaking of a Rs65 billion project connecting Qayyumabad to Karachi Port under the public-private partnership model. The extension project, spanning approximately 16.5 kilometers from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Karachi Port’s East Wharf and SAP Terminal, will include a four-lane corridor with additional spur links, interchanges, and tolling infrastructure at an estimated cost of Rs64.20 billion.
Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah said the expressway was part of more than Rs1.7 trillion worth of development schemes currently underway in Karachi. The newly launched Karachi Port to Qayyumabad Corridor would further integrate Karachi’s transport system and facilitate commercial activity linked to the port.
Sindh Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah informed the ceremony that the extension corridor would provide direct connectivity for cargo and commercial traffic to and from Karachi Port, reducing congestion on existing city roads and improving logistics efficiency. He said the corridor is expected to reduce heavy-vehicle movement on residential and commercial arteries, improve road safety, and support smoother logistics operations for exporters and importers.
Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that Shahrah-i-Bhutto is not merely a road but a manifestation of PPP commitment to the people of the country, the province, and Karachi. He added that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has simultaneously launched a number of development projects aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving connectivity, and upgrading civic infrastructure across the metropolis.
