Karachi business leaders demand urgent action on economic and civic crises

Zubair Motiwala, Chairman of the Businessmen Group (BMG), has called for urgent and coordinated action to address the severe civic and economic crises facing Karachi. Despite the city contributing approximately 67 percent of federal revenues and 54 percent of national exports, Motiwala highlighted critical failures in infrastructure, including dilapidated roads, acute water shortages, unreliable utility services, and a collapsing sewerage system.

Addressing a high-level meeting of trade and industrial associations, Motiwala warned that rising production costs due to inconsistent electricity and gas supplies are undermining industrial competitiveness. He proposed several priority measures, including the timely completion of the K-4 project, the implementation of a functional Safe City system, and the construction of a Karachi Bypass to divert heavy traffic.

Additional demands include transparency in electricity billing, automated compensation for service failures, competitive gas rates, and faster tax refunds. Motiwala emphasized the need for a unified platform for Karachi’s commercial and industrial associations to exert effective pressure on authorities for institutional accountability and measurable reforms.