Daily Times

The Supreme Court ordered on Thursday that the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) be completed in the next nine months.

Headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, an apex court bench was hearing the KCR revival case at the Karachi registry.

Commissioner Karachi Naved Ali Shaikh informed the judges that the KCR track has been cleared of all encroachments. At this, CJP Ahmed asked what is hampering the complete restoration of the KCR when all encroachments have been removed from the track.

The KCR project director said the 14-kilometre long Orangi-City station track, which is dotted with nine stations, is operational. The complete KCR track is 43 kilometres long, the secretary railway said, adding the City-Drigh road track is also operational.

However, the Green Line BRT project has become a hurdle near Nazimabad, he pointed out. A flyover or an underpass need to be built there, he added.

The secretary railway said the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has been given a contract for its construction. A lawyer for FWO rejected the secretary’s claim saying it has not been given any such contract.

The provincial transport secretary said that a work order in this regard had been issued following the cabinet’s approval, adding the organisation demanded Rs25 million for a pre-feasibility advice, which had also been released.