The Karachi Yellow Line project’s cost has dramatically surged by 190 percent, with the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approving a revised expenditure of Rs 178.59 billion, up from the original estimate of Rs 61.43 billion set in 2019. The sharp escalation reflects ongoing inflationary pressures and project revisions affecting large-scale infrastructure developments in Pakistan.
The CDWP also approved additional development schemes worth Rs 10.55 billion and recommended several major projects, including the Yellow Line, worth Rs 256 billion for final approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). Critics and analysts are likely to scrutinise the cost jump as stakeholders debate fiscal oversight, timelines and value for money on public transport initiatives in Karachi.