Sindh Province

Karachi | ReNews Pakistan
The Government of Sindh has announced that 275,000 houses belonging to low income families will receive free solar home systems under an Rs 18.206 billion initiative aimed at improving access to affordable and renewable energy while reducing electricity costs for vulnerable households across the province.
The announcement was made during a review meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who directed the Energy Department to accelerate the distribution and installation process so that eligible families can begin benefiting from the program as early as possible. He said the project is designed to improve living standards by providing reliable electricity to thousands of houses that either lack adequate power access or struggle with rising energy costs.
Under the initiative, 132,000 off grid houses located in remote desert, mountainous, riverine, and underserved areas will receive solar home systems. In addition, 143,000 on grid protected consumer houses using up to 100 electricity units per month will also be covered under the scheme.
Each selected household will receive a 180 watt solar panel, a lithium battery, one energy efficient fan, and LED lights free of cost, enabling families to meet their basic household electricity needs through clean energy.
Officials informed the meeting that 11,571 solar home systems have already been installed in districts including Karachi, Ghotki, Umerkot, Dadu, Tharparkar, Thatta, and Shaheed Benazirabad as implementation continues across the province.
The project, which was launched in April 2025, is scheduled for completion by June 2027. The provincial government has confirmed that families registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) will receive priority during distribution, while authorities have pledged to ensure transparency, timely execution, and equitable access for eligible houses throughout Sindh.

Karachi: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Karachi Development Authority has sought approval from the Sindh Local Government Department to develop a portfolio of prime land and properties valued at approximately Rs 90 billion through public private partnerships.
Under the proposal, several high value land parcels owned by the authority would be offered to private companies for joint development and commercial management. The KDA Director General has formally requested permission from the provincial government, while a summary has also been submitted to the Local Government Department for approval.
The proposed portfolio includes around 28 acres of land near the KDA Officers Housing Society on Stadium Road, 15 acres in the KDA Staff Colony in North Karachi and nearly four acres currently occupied by a KDA field office in the Federal Area.
Several other plots, buildings and land holdings owned by the authority in different parts of Karachi have also been identified for possible inclusion in the initiative.
If approved, the selected properties would be developed and managed in collaboration with private sector companies under a public private partnership framework. The combined open market value of the identified assets is estimated at around Rs 90 billion.
KDA officials believe the plan could unlock the commercial potential of underused public land and create a substantial long term source of income for the financially strained authority.
The development body has been facing mounting financial pressures, including pension liabilities, unpaid dues to retired employees and difficulties in ensuring the timely payment of salaries to serving staff.
Under the proposed arrangement, revenue generated through the development, lease or commercial use of the properties would be used to strengthen KDA’s financial position.
The income is expected to help clear outstanding payments owed to retired employees, reduce pension liabilities and improve the authority’s ability to meet salary, administrative and operational expenses.
The proposal has, however, raised concerns among KDA employees, who fear that valuable public properties could effectively pass into private control under the pretext of addressing the authority’s financial difficulties.
Employees and other stakeholders are expected to seek clarity over the ownership structure, duration of partnership agreements, revenue sharing formula, valuation process and legal safeguards for public land.
Questions may also arise over whether the identified properties would be leased, jointly developed or handed over to private companies through long term concession agreements.
Any approval would therefore require a transparent regulatory and contractual framework covering independent land valuation, competitive bidding, project feasibility, development rights, revenue sharing and the continued protection of public ownership.
The Sindh Local Government Department has not yet announced a final decision on the proposal.
KDA has urged the provincial authorities to approve the plan, arguing that the partnership model could enable the authority to develop its underutilised assets without relying entirely on government funding.
The proposal could become one of the largest land based financial restructuring initiatives undertaken by a civic development authority in Karachi.
Its success, however, would depend on open competition, independent valuation, transparent agreements and clear safeguards ensuring that public assets are commercially utilised without compromising public ownership, institutional accountability or the wider public interest.

Karachi: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Sindh High Court has ordered all parties to maintain the status quo in a case concerning a proposed construction project adjacent to the historic Mohatta Palace, while scheduling final arguments for the first week of August.
During the hearing, the Additional Advocate General (AAG) informed the court that the provincial heritage authorities had acted promptly after learning about excavation activities at the site. According to the AAG, the Culture, Tourism, Antiquities and Archives Department immediately issued a show cause notice, suspended the excavation work and referred the matter to its technical and advisory committees for detailed examination.
The government maintained that no unrestricted approval had been granted for the project. Instead, any permission was conditional and followed extensive deliberations by the relevant authorities. The conditions required an independent structural assessment, strict compliance with heritage conservation guidelines and a complete prohibition on excavation until a structural safety report had been submitted and reviewed.
The AAG further argued that the proposed building must remain lower in height than the historic Mohatta Palace and should not cause any structural, architectural or environmental damage to the adjoining protected heritage property. He told the court that the heritage department had consistently instructed the project's consultant to adopt all necessary safety measures and ensure that preservation of the palace remained the highest priority throughout the planning process.
Separate comments were also submitted by the Culture, Antiquities and Archives Department and the Director General of Antiquities and Archaeology, supporting the government's position on the matter.
Counsel representing the remaining respondents requested additional time to submit their replies, which the court accepted.
After hearing the preliminary submissions, the bench adjourned the proceedings to a date to be fixed in the first week of August. In its order, the court directed all parties to present their arguments at the next hearing and instructed them to maintain the existing position at the site until further orders.
The case centres on concerns over the potential impact of nearby construction on Mohatta Palace, one of Karachi's most prominent protected heritage landmarks. The court's interim order ensures that no further changes will take place at the disputed location until the legal issues surrounding the project are fully examined.