Karachi mayor inaugurates Shadman IT ParkPublished on: September 14, 2026 12:08 AM

Pakistan, Sept. 14 — Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab inaugurated the major rehabilitation project of a park and IT centre in Shadman Town, District Central. Members of the City Council, elected representatives and other concerned officials were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that development projects were being undertaken in different parts of the city to provide citizens with better recreational, educational and basic facilities. He said the rehabilitation of Shadman Park had provided residents of the area with a clean, beautiful and improved recreational facility.

He said the improvement of parks, playgrounds and other civic facilities was continuing in different parts of Karachi, while local government institutions were taking practical measures to provide citizens with a better environment and improved facilities.

The mayor said the park and IT centre rehabilitation project in Shadman Town had been completed at a cost of Rs14.5 million. Under the project, the 4,400-square-metre park had been equipped with modern facilities, including a play area and swings for children.

He said more than 1,000 square metres of grass had been planted to enhance the beauty and greenery of the park, while more than 100 new trees and plants had also been planted. Following its rehabilitation, residents of Shadman Town now had access to a better and more attractive recreational facility.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab said the IT centre in Shadman Town had also been equipped with modern facilities under the project. The 180-square-metre IT centre comprises eight rooms, including an office, store, kitchen and washrooms, along with other essential facilities.

He said arrangements for electricity and water supply to the park and IT centre were also included in the project, while the park’s sewerage connection had been linked with the external sewerage network. Special attention had been given to providing basic facilities to citizens and improving the overall environment of the area.

Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that an area covering more than one acre in Shadman, which had once been covered with garbage and presented a deserted and neglected appearance, had now been transformed into a modern recreational and educational centre for citizens. The facility has now been named Shadman IT Park.

He said the present era was the era of artificial intelligence and information technology, and equipping young people with modern knowledge and skills was an essential requirement of the time.

The mayor said the IT centre had also been made operational and the admissions process would begin from today. After completion of the admissions process, various courses in artificial intelligence and information technology would be offered free of cost to young people within the next 30 days.

He said the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership was committed to establishing similar centres in every district and town of Karachi, where citizens would have opportunities not only for recreation and healthy activities but also for modern education and skills development.

He said major companies around the world were hiring young people from different countries through online platforms, and it was essential to equip the youth of Karachi to benefit from these opportunities.

“Our objective is to provide young people with skills through which they can earn respectable livelihoods, support their parents and families, and play their role in the development of the city and the country,” he said.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab said Shadman IT Park was not merely a park but an important step towards a better future for the youth. He said the era of mere promises and announcements was over and the time had come to demonstrate practical work and results.

He said Shadman IT Park was proof that promises made to citizens were being fulfilled and projects presented before the public were being translated into reality.

The mayor said development work was progressing rapidly across Karachi, with projects for the improvement of roads and basic infrastructure underway in different areas. He said the time had passed when it was claimed that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation lacked powers and resources.

He said the laws, powers and resources remained the same, but the difference lay in leadership and commitment to public service. According to him, the present leadership was connected with the problems of ordinary Karachi residents, which was why development work was now visible across the city.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab said further work was being initiated to improve the city’s infrastructure, while the tendering process for the construction and rehabilitation of approximately 149 roads was underway.

He said although several of these roads did not fall directly within the jurisdiction of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi residents lived there as well, and addressing their difficulties was also the responsibility of the city’s leadership.

The mayor thanked the Sindh government for its cooperation in the development of the city and provision of better facilities to citizens. He expressed hope that the tendering process would be completed during the current month and work orders would subsequently be issued, after which road construction and rehabilitation projects would begin in different districts and towns of Karachi.

Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said differences and criticism from political opponents were part of democratic politics and he did not expect his opponents to support him. However, he said criticism should be based on facts and documents rather than verbal allegations.

Responding to Mustafa Kamal’s statement about coming into the field, the mayor said he himself was present in the field and was visiting different parts of the city to oversee development work.

Referring to Karachi’s past, he said the people of Karachi did not want a city associated with fear, terrorism, unrest and violence. The Karachi of today needed peace, development and better civic facilities, and that was the Karachi he was working for.

Referring to allegations by opponents that Rs300 billion had been spent by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the mayor said that if the claim was correct, its evidence and budget documents should be made public.

He said verbal claims alone were not acceptable and it should be explained when the amount was approved, which projects were approved, when their tendering was conducted and how much work had actually been completed on those projects.

Mayor Karachi said he was ready to debate the matter at any place and on any forum, but the discussion should be based on facts and documentary evidence. He said he would also present the facts before the public according to the official record.

He said there was a clear difference between the leadership style of former mayor Waseem Akhtar and that of the present mayor, just as there was a difference between the political approach and governance style of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

He said the wheel of development in Karachi would no longer stop and ongoing development projects would be accelerated further.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab said Karachi’s problems could not be solved through political slogans, noise and allegations, but through practical measures. He said providing citizens with better roads, parks, educational facilities and employment opportunities was a priority of the present leadership.

The mayor said the improvement of the city’s infrastructure would continue and that after September 15, development projects for the construction and rehabilitation of roads in different areas would enter the practical implementation stage.

He said the quality and pace of development work would also be monitored by citizens and elected representatives to ensure transparency and timely completion of projects.