Hyderabad Division

Hyderabad : Renews Pakistan Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Zainul Abideen Memon has asked the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL) to cancel or withdraw the notice inviting tender (NIT) for the construction of a flyover at Labbaik Chowk in Latifabad, saying the project is not technically feasible in view of the available road width, right of way and traffic conditions. In a letter sent to the CEO of PIDCL on Aug 30, the deputy commissioner questioned the proposed bridge, which is part of the federally funded urban infrastructure development package for Hyderabad. Mr Memon said the proposed intervention was likely to aggravate the already growing traffic congestion and cause further inconvenience to the public. He later confirmed that he had written the letter to PIDCL and said that a PIDCL official had asked him to raise the issue in writing. The deputy commissioner also expressed concern that the district administration had not been consulted during the conception and planning of development schemes, including the proposed flyover. He said the lack of coordination could affect the planning and execution of important projects. He requested PIDCL to cancel the NIT and identify alternative schemes in consultation with the district administration and other stakeholders. The proposed Rs 800 million flyover is planned at Labbaik Chowk, commonly known as the late PPP leader Qamaruzzaman Shah's chowk because his bungalow was located at the site, where different units of Latifabad converge. The roundabout is one of the busiest intersections in Hyderabad. It has recently become a hotspot for wedding halls and large commercial plazas being constructed on two corners of the roundabout, including one built in place of the late Qamar uz Zaman Shah's residence. A notice inviting tender for the flyover has already been published in newspapers. The project was described as the first major project of the urban infrastructure development package to begin in Latifabad, subject to various procedural approvals. Meanwhile, a separate development project being executed by PIDCL under the same federally funded package has led to the registration of a criminal case against a contractor in Latifabad. An FIR was lodged at Hussainabad police station on Sept 15 by Fayyaz Kalyar, an official of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC), against contractor Muzaffar Qureshi over alleged damage to an HMC drainage pipeline during PIDCL work in Latifabad. The case was registered as Crime No. 266/26 under relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. The complainant alleged that no permission had been obtained for the work that damaged HMC property. The two disputes have emerged amid ongoing political friction between the MQM and PPP over development works in Hyderabad. The works were identified by local party leadership and parliamentarians as part of the project the MQM had secured for Hyderabad soon after the formation of the PML-N-led coalition federal government. MQM leaders and parliamentarians have repeatedly expressed a lack of trust in the PPP-led Sindh government regarding development works in their constituencies. They have also demanded that funds for the Karachi and Hyderabad packages be transferred to PIDCL instead of being placed at the disposal of the Sindh government. The federal government accepted the MQM's request and transferred the funds to PIDCL. In December 2025, MQM members of the Sindh Assembly from Hyderabad had opposed the transfer of 43 development schemes from the Local Government Project to the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation at the request of the city mayor. MNA Wasim said the contractor had obtained bail in the case, which he said related to pavement work being carried out under PIDCL. He alleged that the administration and HMC were creating hurdles in the implementation of the works. He also questioned the deputy commissioner's letter regarding the flyover and said Mr Memon would be responsible for any cost escalation resulting from delays in the bridge's construction. Mr Wasim said funds for the project had been transferred to a non-lapsable account of PIDCL after the works were identified by the MQM. “When we demand permission for some works, the same is not issued by Sindh government offices, including the HMC and the administration,” he said. He said the Hyderabad civil administration had previously identified the same works for development, but the federal government had declined the request at the time. According to the deputy commissioner, the Hyderabad district administration had identified works worth Rs4.98 billion. A pre-Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting was also convened for the technical assessment of 23 schemes relating to water supply, roads and drainage. The DC said these works were initially to be executed by the provincial Local Government and Housing Department but were later dropped after PIDCL was provided funds by the federal government for Hyderabad's urban infrastructure development package. “We did deny the issuance of the stakeholder consultation certificate sought by PIDCL, for want of consultation with the administration,” Mr Memon said, adding that the tendering process for PIDCL schemes was nevertheless under way. Meanwhile, a traffic signal installation scheme is also being executed by the Sindh Mass Transit Authority at the same roundabout where the flyover has been proposed. The traffic signal project is part of a Rs30 million scheme covering the installation of signals at Labbaik, Shahbaz and Giddu roundabouts. The old roundabout at Labbaik Chowk has already been dismantled by the executing agency and lines have also been laid. The Sindh government has separately provided Rs 8.02 billion in funds for the works. So far, Rs 7.5 billion has been transferred to PIDCL for Hyderabad under the urban infrastructure development package, including funds for the previous and current financial years.

A REIT is an investment fund that allows people to invest in real estate projects without directly purchasing land or a building. The main asset of the project will be a 139 room hotel to be constructed on Qasimabad Bypass in Hyderabad. The hotel is planned to operate under an international brand. The project will be managed by JS Investments and developed in partnership with the Gohar Group. According to the company, the hotel will follow international standards for environmentally responsible construction, including energy efficiency, better use of resources and measures to reduce its environmental impact. Shariah compliant means that the fund’s investments and income structure will operate according to Islamic financial principles. The project is expected to provide investors with a new way to participate in Pakistan’s hotel and real estate sectors while adding modern hospitality facilities in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: [ReNews Pakistan] The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company has intensified its ongoing operations against electricity theft and payment default, while a fresh press release and photographs relating to the July 15, 2026 crackdown have been uploaded to the company’s official website. The official title describes the operation as a crackdown against defaulters and electricity thieves, indicating that the power distribution company is pursuing a coordinated campaign to recover outstanding dues, disconnect illegal connections and take action against those involved in the unauthorised use of electricity. HESCO serves Hyderabad and several other districts of Sindh where electricity theft, illegal connections, unpaid bills and financial losses in the distribution network have remained major administrative and operational challenges. Operations conducted under such campaigns generally include the removal of illegal connections, disconnection of defaulting consumers, assessment of illegally consumed electricity, imposition of detection bills, recovery of outstanding dues and submission of applications to police for legal action against alleged electricity thieves. However, the publicly available official title does not provide the complete number of illegal connections disconnected during the July 15 operation, the amount recovered from defaulters, the value of detection bills imposed or the number of cases referred to the police. The original press release, photographic handout or complete text issued by HESCO’s public relations department will be required to independently confirm the numerical results of the operation. Once the complete document becomes available, the action taken in different circles, divisions and subdivisions could also be examined separately. HESCO has also appealed to the public through its official website to provide verified information about electricity theft. The company says the identity of informants will be kept confidential and that a reward may be provided under the applicable rules after the recovery of penalties from electricity thieves. Electricity distribution companies maintain that power theft and poor recovery of dues increase financial losses, weaken the distribution system and place additional pressure on consumers who regularly pay their electricity bills. The impact of HESCO’s latest crackdown can therefore be fully assessed only after the company releases complete and verifiable figures covering recoveries, disconnected connections, detection bills and legal cases arising from the operation.