KARACHI, September 19, 2025 – Commuters relying on Karachi’s Green Line Bus Service are facing fresh uncertainty as construction work on the much-anticipated extension project has been abruptly halted.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has stopped contractors from continuing construction along MA Jinnah Road, citing planning and coordination concerns. A formal letter has also been sent to the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL), demanding clarity on the matter.
PIDCL officials, however, insist that the NOC granted in 2017 for the project remains valid. They argue that such permits are one-time approvals without an expiry date, adding that all relevant departments were informed through official correspondence in July 2025 before construction resumed.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab sharply criticized the handling of the project, pointing out that work had begun on a seven-year-old NOC without proper planning. He emphasized that MA Jinnah Road is one of the city’s busiest arteries, and citizens are bearing the brunt of traffic chaos. “An alternative route should have been finalized before digging up a main road,” Wahab stressed.
The Green Line Bus project, launched by the federal government in 2016, was initially designed to run from Surjani Town to Tower. Later, it was revised and shortened to end at the Jamia Cloth Market. The first phase, completed up to the Exhibition area, was inaugurated at the end of 2021.
Earlier this year, management of the service was handed over to the Sindh government, which restarted work on the long-stalled extension. But just weeks after resumption, the project has once again been pushed into uncertainty leaving Karachi’s commuters frustrated and city authorities at odds over accountability.
