Karachi: Following recent rains that left the majority of the city’s roads severely damaged, Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor called for a governmental investigation into what he describes as the substandard construction of these roads. He emphasized the need for accountability for corrupt officials and contractors responsible for the loss of billions of rupees of taxpayer money.

According to Pasban Democratic Party, Shakoor highlighted a pervasive corruption network between government officials and private contractors across Pakistan, particularly severe in Sindh. He accused officials at all levels of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding lucrative contracts to favored contractors who then use inferior materials. This corruption, he asserted, is so entrenched that even ministers are implicated, receiving kickbacks from these contracts.

Shakoor pointed out that some recently repaired or reconstructed roads, like Main University Road and Jahangir Road, were washed away by the rains, whereas similar infrastructure in Lahore remained intact. This discrepancy, he argued, indicates a lower level of political corruption in Punjab compared to Sindh. He called for the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice of these issues, which he considers a violation of human rights, and suggested that civil society could file a petition against the poor construction practices in the Sindh High Court.

In a direct appeal, Shakoor urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, a trained civil engineer, to personally oversee a thorough investigation into the matter. He also proposed that road and street construction projects should be assigned to civil engineering departments of local universities to ensure quality and provide practical training for students.