Karachi (HRNW)– Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor has said that the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) is being deliberately shelved as the project will not only reshape the economy of the city but will also reorganize its socio-political structure and displace traditional political roles.
Speaking in Karachi on Sunday, Altaf Shakoor said that the improvement of the public transport system always brings about a major change in the social, economic and political attitudes of voters, and the revival of the KCR can lead to a similar revolutionary change in the urban travel system. According to him, vested interests have been delaying the project for years for this reason.
He said that the revival and expansion of the KCR is not just a transport upgrade but a structural economic reform for Pakistan’s largest city, which will also prove to be a deep political intervention. An active KCR will not only strengthen Karachi’s economy but also change the socio-political balance that benefits those who benefit from the chaotic transport system, informal system and fragmented urban governance. This dual effect is the reason why the project has been repeatedly ignored.
Altaf Shakoor said that due to Karachi’s size, population density and central role in national trade, KCR can become the economic aorta of the city, which will increase productivity, reduce costs and restore development potential stifled by traffic and inefficiency. According to him, the city’s economy is facing huge hidden losses due to unreliable and time-consuming travel, where employees waste hours in travel and reach work exhausted, which affects efficiency in offices, factories, ports and markets.
He claimed that Karachi’s poor transport system causes a loss of about Rs 1 billion daily, and if there is even a modest improvement in reliable travel facilities, it is possible to increase productivity by 10 to 20 percent without increasing wages, which makes KCR economically justifiable even on productivity grounds.
According to the PDP chairman, reliable rail transport will widen the labor market by reducing economic distances within the city. Employees will get better employment opportunities outside their neighborhoods while employers will be able to benefit from a wider range of skills. Safe and reliable rail service will promote workforce participation, especially of women, which will result in sustainable growth in employment, household income, consumption and urban GDP.
He said that as the country’s main port and industrial city, Karachi’s competitiveness is linked to the daily movement of people. Heavy traffic on the roads affects the schedules of industries and increases the cost of doing business. KCR will reduce reliance on roads by improving access to industrial areas and increase operational efficiency, which will increase investor confidence.
Altaf Shakoor said that urban rail system creates value at the city level through better land use. KCR stations can be adapted into economic centers, where dense commercial and residential activities, new retail clusters and efficient land use will flourish, which will create real value rather than speculation and become a source of sustainable tax revenue.
He added that the revival of KCR will help in gradually formalizing Karachi’s large informal economy. Regular and predictable travel will enable fixed working hours, stable employment and better documentation, which will broaden the tax base and strengthen the fiscal capacity.
He said that the benefits are not limited to revenue and output. The reduction in traffic will reduce air pollution, accidents and stress-related diseases, reduce health costs and productivity losses. Rail transport consumes less energy per passenger and is easier to electrify, which will reduce pressure on fuel imports and foreign exchange.
The PDP chairman stressed that the revival of KCR will create jobs in both the short and long term—from construction, engineering, operations, maintenance and station-side businesses. A prominent and reliable urban rail system will improve Karachi’s reputation by sending a message of governance and long-term planning and attract high-quality investment.
Citing Indian cities, he said that the Delhi Metro and Mumbai Suburban Railways are the backbone of daily economic life and shape urban development around rail corridors. Despite delays or cost increases, their expansion continues because their economic value is recognized. The lesson for Karachi is clear: continued political commitment, institutional continuity and integration with feeder transport are more important than the perfection of the initial design.
Finally, Altaf Shakoor said that the problem is not technical but political anxiety arising from change. KCR will empower commuters by reducing reliance on informal transport networks, limit the role of middlemen, and shift urban politics to issues of governance, productivity, and quality of life rather than identity or territorial control.
Support independent journalism and public-interest reporting by donating to HRNW:
https://www.hrnww.com/donate-us/
