• The center leaves RS3.2bn in budget for fiscal year 2016 against the RS40BN requirement to complete the water supply scheme
• Ji says that the federal government has “literally filed” the project
• Sharjeel expresses concerns about the ‘inappropriate’ fund ears brand
Karachi: For more than two decades, the very delayed K-IV water project now faces another important setback since the federal government has assigned only RS3.2 billion in the budget against the required amount of RS40BN for the scheme, which caused fears that the city has to wait “another 10 years” or more for the completion of the plan.
The officials associated with the project, speaking under anonymity, have expressed a deep frustration for the insignificant allocation, warning that the financing deficit has derailed any realistic schedule established for the end of the project.
“More than 63 percent of the work is already done, and with adequate financing, we hope to wrap it within a year,” said a senior official. “But with only RS3.2bn, we are now looking at a scenario in which it could have been completing another 10 years. This delay is devastating for a city that already faces a sharp shortage of water.”
Now, with that lost timeline and inappropriate funds for the current fiscal year, experts and interested parties fear that the K-IV will remain in Limbo in the coming years.
For a city of more than 20 million, already dealing with severe water shortage and infrastructure failures, the delay has real and immediate consequences.
“Karachi cannot wait another decade,” he warned privileged information. “This is not just a budget line: it is water, survival and dignity for millions.”
The K-IV project, originally launched in the early 2000s to address Karachi’s chronic water supply problems, has witnessed multiple reviews, costs of costs and bureaucratic obstacles. Despite the renewed federal attention in recent years, the last budget allocation has thrown Dark Shadow about his future.
Adding weight to criticism, the former Federal Minister of Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar, which supervised the K-IV project during the PTI government of 2018 to 2022, said that the current allocation shows that the Government lacks commitment.
“The assignment of RS3.2BN suggests that the government does not take the construction of the project seriously,” he said. “It is simply a political statement, not a development commitment. There was a real impulse. We had a vision and a timeline. This setback is unfortunate.”
It was Mr. Umar who promoted the K-IV during his mandate, recommending the then Prime Minister Imran Khan that the federal government takes care of the complete financing of the project, eliminating the previous cost agreement with the Government of Sindh.
According to his supervision, the Ministry of Planning had commissioned WAPDA to complete the project and assigned on August 14, 2023, as the proposed opening date.
PPP, Ji Express concerns
The last Islamabad movement has also caused a kind of crack between two key federal allies: the PML-N and the PPP.
The PPP Sindh government has expressed strong reservations on “inappropriate allocation” in the federal budget, saying that it is taking the matter very seriously and in the process of reviewing the entire budget.
“We have serious concerns not only about this project but also about the K-4 initiative,” said Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon. “The assigned funds are very inappropriate. The Pakistan peoples party is taking these problems seriously and will thoroughly review the budget.”
He emphasized the need for fiscal discipline and a more intelligent resource management at the federal level.
“We have submitted formal proposals to the prime minister and urge the federal government to reduce unnecessary expenses,” he said. “If income does not increase, it becomes essential to control expenses. All expenses must be administered wisely; otherwise, we are putting our entire fiscal policy at risk.”
Meanwhile, the leader of Jamaat-I-Islami, Monem Zafar, echoed similar frustrations during a press conference.
“In the context of the severe water crisis in Karachi, the K-IV project became the most important plan for the future of the city,” he said. “But it seems that the federal government has literally filed it.”
He referred to “disparity” in financing priorities.
“Some RS133 billion were assigned to the Division of Water Resources, but only RS3.2 billion were assigned for the K-IV. That is only 2.5 percent of the total budget of the division. This clearly shows that those in the power corridors do not want to grant Karachi and Karachiites more than a symbolic fraction, no more than Zakat,” said the leader of JI.
Posted in Dawn, June 12, 2025
