Sindh CM Approves Timeline for South Asia's Longest River Bridge

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced that the long-stalled Ghotki–Kandhkot road and bridge project will be completed by June 2027, with construction activities now back on track.

Work on the scheme had previously halted after laborers received threats from katcha-area bandits.

Presiding over the 49th Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Board meeting at CM House, Shah reviewed the project’s progress, rising costs, and security hurdles, and approved a fresh, transparent timeline to ensure steady implementation.

The bridge, originally designed to span 3 kilometres, has been reconfigured to 12.2 kilometres based on the Indus River Commission’s recommendations after the 2022 floods. Updated concession and EPC agreements were finalised in 2023, pushing the total project cost to Rs. 32 billion.

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Although official documents list June 2029 as the end date, Shah instructed departments to avoid further interruptions and vowed to personally inaugurate the bridge in June 2027. He described the project as “a new economic artery” for Sindh and a commitment to the people of the province.

Officials told the meeting that, despite security issues in the katcha belt, construction had made solid progress: piling was 54% complete, shafts 49% and transoms 47%.

The PPP Board also gave the green light to Pakistan’s first plasma fractionation facility, to be established under the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority. The landmark health initiative will allow the local production of plasma-derived medicines, including albumin, immunoglobulins, and various coagulation factors used for haemophilia, cancer care, bone marrow transplants, immune disorders, trauma, and major surgeries, all of which are currently imported.

The new facility will be supported by plasma generated through the existing RBC project under PPP. Shah said the newly introduced National Blood Transfusion and Blood Products Policy (2025–30) had created a favourable environment for foreign investment, with several international companies already showing interest in Karachi.