Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, inaugurated the first phase of the six-lane Malir Expressway, now renamed the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Expressway, providing uninterrupted access to the National Highway.
The partial opening covered a 9.1km stretch from Qayyumabad to Shah Faisal, with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in attendance.
Bilawal personally drove along Bhutto Road, accompanied by Murad Ali Shah, inspecting the route from Shah Faisal intersection to the toll plaza, as confirmed by the Chief Minister’s spokesperson.
Murad Ali Shah highlighted that the Malir Expressway is Pakistan’s largest public-private partnership project, spanning 39km at an estimated cost of Rs55 billion. The expressway begins at Korangi Creek Avenue and extends along the Malir River.
Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, the expressway is a milestone in Karachi’s transportation infrastructure, offering a crucial link to the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9) via DHA and the existing link road. Once fully operational in 2025, it will serve as an alternative to Shahrah-e-Faisal, connect major industrial zones, and ease Karachi’s traffic congestion.
Provincial Minister Sharjeel Memon described the expressway as a transformative project, creating a strategic link between central Karachi and the motorway. It will benefit businesses, travelers, and industries, reducing road congestion, fuel consumption, and travel time by up to 50%. The project also strengthens connections to industrial hubs like Dhabeji and the Steel Mill.
Memon added that Bhutto Road has been designed as a high-speed corridor adhering to international standards, showcasing the Sindh government’s commitment to urban and economic development under Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s leadership.
