A Chief Minister’s Inspection Team has uncovered financial irregularities exceeding Rs8 billion in Karachi’s Yellow Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, describing the situation as severe mismanagement. The report highlighted repeated violations of administrative procedures related to contract management, tax deductions, government revenue deposits, and disciplined project execution.
The inquiry focused on the Karachi Mobility Project (KMP) for the Yellow Line BRT, which aims to link Quaidabad’s Dawood Chowrangi with Numaish. This project is being carried out with financial support from the World Bank. Key components include the construction of the Jam Sadiq Bridge, Depot-I at Dawood Chowrangi, and Depot-II near Indus Hospital in Karachi.
the findings, former KMP Project Director Zamir Abbasi and Director Jhaman Das authorized cheque payments to contractors while circumventing all mandatory checks and balances involving the Principal Accounting Officer (PAO), consultants, Project Management Consultant (PMC), and the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA).
The report detailed advance payments amounting to Rs885 million for Depot-I, Rs2 billion for Depot-II, and Rs5.682 billion for the Jam Sadiq Bridge, totaling Rs8.567 billion. These payments violated established rules, granting undue advantages to contractors and jeopardizing both the Yellow Line project and the World Bank agreement.
It further noted the awarded costs for the Jam Sadiq Bridge at Rs12.53 billion, Depot-I at Rs2.64 billion, and Depot-II at Rs16.96 billion. Physical progress as of April 2026 stood at 55.17% for the Jam Sadiq Bridge, 10% for Depot-I, and 35.62% for Depot-II.
The report condemned the management practices of the KMP as a clear example of sham administration, suggesting that the case warranted disciplinary action under the relevant Efficiency and Discipline (E&D) and Misconduct Rules. It also stated that the conduct demonstrated unfitness for civil service, deeming the involved officials unworthy of holding any future positions of trust or responsibility.
In a significant development, the report recommended that the Transport and Mass Transit Department implement administrative and corrective measures to salvage the project. It also called for a criminal investigation into the administration, leading to the Anti-Corruption department registering a First Information Report (FIR) against the officials involved.
