KARACHI; Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday lambasted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the prolonged delay in the K-IV water supply project, saying he had hoped Karachi would receive the same “Shehbaz speed” as Lahore but instead got “Shehbaz slow.”
Speaking at the inauguration of a new canal from Hub Dam to Karachi, Bilawal reminded the prime minister of his reputation for swift governance as Punjab chief minister, urging him to fulfil his promises to the city without further delay.
The K-IV project, launched in the early 2000s to alleviate Karachi’s chronic water shortages, has suffered repeated delays and escalating costs. With only Rs3.2 billion allocated this year against an estimated Rs40 billion requirement, officials fear completion could be delayed by another decade.
The limited federal allocation has caused friction between the ruling coalition partners — the PPP and PML-N. The Sindh government has strongly objected to what it calls an “inadequate allocation,” with Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon warning that the province is reviewing the entire federal budget in response.
Memon stressed the need for fiscal discipline, urging the federal government to cut unnecessary expenditures and manage resources more prudently, warning that poor financial management could jeopardise national fiscal policy.
Meanwhile, the newly inaugurated Hub Canal, a key provincial initiative approved in 2022, will add 100 million gallons per day (MGD) to Karachi’s water supply. The project includes building a new canal, rehabilitating the old Hub Canal, and upgrading the Hub pumping station and filter plant.
Bilawal said the new water supply would benefit the Central, East, and Keamari districts, with hopes to extend it to Lyari and nearby islands. He added that work on restoring the old canal is in progress and expressed his party’s intent to secure an increased allocation of 200 MGD for Karachi from the chief minister.
