Amid mounting criticism over Karachi’s battered roads, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has pushed back, stating it is not responsible for the city’s broken infrastructure. The gas utility claims to have paid more than Rs11.9 billion to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and various Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs) between July 2024 and June 2025 specifically for road-cutting and subsequent rehabilitation works.
Facing growing pressure from political figures and citizen groups, who have accused SSGC of digging up streets for pipeline work and leaving them unrepaired, company officials argue that the funds were disbursed in a timely and transparent manner. “It is the legal responsibility of the metropolitan and town corporations to carry out the repairs using the road-cutting charges we pay them,” a senior SSGC source told this reporter.
According to internal records shared by the company, the largest disbursements were made to TMC North Karachi and TMC North Nazimabad — receiving a combined total of Rs3.55 billion. TMC Model Colony followed with Rs2.10 billion. Other significant payments included Rs1 billion to TMC Lyari, Rs490 million to KMC itself, Rs260 million each to TMC Saddar and TMC Chensar, and Rs210 million to TMC Landhi. The smallest payment, just Rs0.227 million, went to TMC Gulshan.
Despite these hefty payouts, roads across Karachi remain riddled with potholes, incomplete patches, and rainwater stagnation — sparking public outrage, especially after the recent monsoon rains worsened conditions.
What’s more troubling is that SSGC, despite releasing billions, never secured any binding legal commitments from the municipal bodies to ensure the roads would actually be restored. “Not a single protest letter was issued to any town administration, nor was there any formal agreement signed before these amounts were paid,” another source within SSGC admitted.
However, in light of growing public frustration and media scrutiny, the gas company has now decided to take action. It has begun drafting protest letters to KMC and the relevant TMCs, seeking answers on why the roads remain unrepaired despite receiving large sums earmarked for that very purpose.
Even so, SSGC officials acknowledge a delicate balancing act. “We can’t go too hard against the municipalities,” one insider said. “If we aggressively protest or pursue legal action, we risk losing future road-cutting permissions — which are essential for our ongoing operations.”
For now, Karachi’s crumbling roads remain a visible and painful reminder of bureaucratic lapses, inter-departmental gaps, and a lack of accountability — while taxpayers and commuters continue to bear the brunt.
