Karachi Yellow Line BRT Project Hit by Rs8bn Scandal

Karachi BRT – (Web Desk) – A fresh inspection report has uncovered major money problems in the Karachi Yellow Line BRT project. Investigators say more than Rs8 billion was paid out the wrong way, and they are calling it a serious case of poor management.

The report says basic rules were ignored from the start. Money moved through contracts, tax deductions, and government accounts without the usual checks in place. Officials skipped steps that are meant to keep public funds safe.

This probe looked into the Karachi Mobility Project, which includes the Yellow Line bus route. The World Bank is helping fund this transit line, planned to connect Dawood Chowrangi in Quaidabad with Numaish.

As part of the plan, crews are building a new Jam Sadiq Bridge along with two bus depots. One depot sits near Dawood Chowrangi, and the other is close to Indus Hospital.

According to the findings, the project’s former director, Zamir Abbasi, and another official, Jhaman Das, approved payments to contractors. The report claims normal safeguards, including checks by the project’s oversight body, consultants, and the transit authority, were bypassed.

Investigators found early payments of Rs885 million for the first depot, Rs2 billion for the second depot, and Rs5.68 billion for the bridge. Altogether, that adds up to about Rs8.5 billion handed over before work was properly verified.

The report says these early payments broke procurement rules and gave contractors an unfair edge. It also warns that this kind of spending puts the whole project, and the agreement with the World Bank, at risk.

The bridge alone was budgeted at Rs12.53 billion. The first depot was priced at Rs2.64 billion, and the second at Rs16.96 billion. As of April 2026, the bridge was a little over halfway finished, the first depot had barely started, and the second was a bit more than a third complete.

The inspection team described the way the project was run as a clear case of careless, almost fake, administration. It says this kind of conduct calls for formal action under civil service discipline rules.

The findings go further, stating that this behavior shows the official involved is not fit to hold a position of trust in government again.

To fix the situation, the report asks the Transport and Mass Transit Department to step in and rescue the project. It also calls for a full criminal investigation into the matter.

Following that recommendation, the Anti-Corruption department has already registered a criminal case linked to the issue.