KARACHI — The much-anticipated Green Line Phase-II corridor project has come to an abrupt halt after Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab ordered the suspension of construction, citing procedural lapses.
The Rs30 billion project, designed to extend the Green Line route from Guru Mandir to Municipal Park, is part of the federal government’s broader plan to improve mobility in Pakistan’s largest city. However, a dispute between the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL) has thrown the initiative into uncertainty.
According to KMC officials, PIDCL failed to obtain a mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the municipal authorities before launching work. The mayor directed that operations be stopped immediately, calling the violation unacceptable.
PIDCL, on the other hand, has strongly rejected the claim. Company representatives insist that the project did in fact have clearance, pointing to a document dated October 12, 2017, signed by the Superintendent Engineer of KMC’s Engineering Department. They argue that halting a federally funded project through verbal instructions alone is not only irregular but also damaging to Karachi’s infrastructure agenda.
“The project is critical to easing traffic congestion and improving urban transport. Stopping it without due process undermines years of planning,” a PIDCL official said.
KMC maintains its position, stressing that no valid NOC exists for Phase-II of the project, and that the decision to suspend construction was made under the explicit directives of Mayor Wahab.
The standoff has already led to the withdrawal of contractors, with staff and equipment removed from the site until further notice. To break the deadlock, a high-level meeting is expected soon between Mayor Wahab and PIDCL executives, including CEO Waseem Bajwa and General Manager Shafi Chhachhar.
For now, the multi-billion-rupee project once touted as a lifeline for Karachi’s clogged transport network remains on pause, with commuters left waiting for clarity on when, or if, construction will resume.
