KARACHI: The controversy over the sudden suspension of the Green Line Phase-II project deepened as the federal government distanced itself from the issue, saying it was a matter between the Karachi mayor and the contractor.
According to a media report, federal government spokesperson Barrister Raja Ansari said the dispute arose after Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab raised objections over the contractor’s No Objection Certificate (NOC).
He clarified that the federal government remained committed to providing better transport facilities to the people of Karachi and had already released funds for the multi-billion-rupee project. He added that coordination with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the mayor was not the responsibility of the federal government.
Ansari further stated that the federal and Sindh governments were in contact regarding the Green Line project. “The federal government, in cooperation with the Sindh government, had accelerated work on the Green Line extension,” he said, adding that construction from Numaish to Jama Cloth was progressing smoothly.
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The spokesperson said he had personally visited the project site a few days ago and urged the mayor to explain the reasons behind his objections.
Mayor Halts Rs30 Billion Project:
Earlier this week, work on the Green Line Phase-II corridor—from Guru Mandir to Municipal Park—was stopped following a dispute between KMC and the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL), which is overseeing the project.
The project, costing Rs30 billion, was halted after Mayor Murtaza Wahab ordered a suspension, citing procedural violations. KMC claimed that PIDCL had started construction without obtaining a valid NOC from the municipal authorities.
According to a media report, PIDCL strongly opposed the move, stating that it had already secured the required NOC before starting the work. The agency said halting a federally approved project based on verbal orders and without official notice was unjustified.
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PIDCL said if KMC had any concerns, it should have sent a formal letter requesting proof of the NOC, which the company could have provided immediately. The agency also claimed to hold an NOC issued on October 12, 2017, signed by KMC’s Engineering Department.
On the other hand, KMC officials insisted that no valid NOC had been issued for the second phase of the project and that the suspension was ordered by Mayor Wahab himself.
The dispute has now escalated to the point where a meeting is expected between Mayor Wahab and senior PIDCL officials, including CEO Waseem Bajwa and General Manager Shafi Chhachhar, to resolve the issue.
Following KMC’s decision, the contractor has stopped operations and removed staff and equipment from the site until further notice.
