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Karachi’s PKR 1.5B People’s Square stands empty

Once meant as a modern public space, Karachi’s People’s Square now stands empty despite heavy investment

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Akhtiar Khokhar

Special Correspondent

Akhtiar Khokhar is a one of the karachi-based senior journalists. He has been doing investigative reporting for Pakistan's mainstream print and electronic media for the past 33 years, especially highlighting corruption and bad governance in government institutions and development projects.

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Located in Karachi’s Saddar area, People’s Square was built in 2020 at a cost of Rs1.5 billion under the World Bank-funded Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project. It was meant to be a modern public space where citizens could relax, gather, and enjoy a clean, safe environment.

But today, the square stands largely deserted — raising serious questions about planning, execution, and accountability.Despite millions spent on improving Karachi’s infrastructure, the city continues to struggle with poor urban planning and a lack of basic facilities.

The big question remains: Why do expensive projects fail to deliver real impact?

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