Sindh chief secretary orders Burns Road beautification plan

Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah has directed officials in Karachi to prepare a coordinated plan for the rehabilitation and beautification of Burns Road and its adjoining roads. The work is to include street repairs, improved walkways and parts of the historic food street made friendly for pedestrians.

The direction came at a meeting the chief secretary chaired to review development and beautification work on Burns Road and surrounding areas, according to Daily Times. The meeting discussed the rehabilitation of streets, improvements to walkways and proposals to make sections of Burns Road pedestrian-friendly.

Shah told the officials concerned to plan the food street and nearby roads together, with particular attention to public access, cleanliness and the area's historic character. The improvements, he said, should make Burns Road more convenient for residents, businesses and visitors.

Proposed pedestrian areas and walkways should be designed alongside the adjoining roads so that the neighbourhood presents a welcoming and consistent appearance, the chief secretary said. He also directed the relevant departments to coordinate their work and maintain its quality.

Burns Road's standing as a historical and popular food street should be reflected in the design and upkeep of its public spaces, Shah added.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary General Administration, Deputy Commissioner South, Municipal Commissioner Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and other officials. The statement did not give a timeline or budget for the proposed work, and no date was announced for any pedestrian-only restrictions. Daily Times did not name which sections of Burns Road may be closed to vehicles.

The meeting appears to have been a planning review rather than an approval of new projects. Officials were asked to prepare a coordinated plan, indicating that detailed designs and cost estimates are still to be produced. The report gave no indication of when construction might begin, and no representative of traders or residents was quoted. The chief secretary's office also did not release any photographs or drawings of the proposed walkways.