It was the monsoon season of 2021. The opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), was locked in a direct confrontation with the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) administration was running the affairs of the state with little room for opposition voices, an increasingly constrained press and an aggressive stance against any narrative seen as anti-establishment.

At the centre of this political standoff was the then leader of the opposition, Shehbaz Sharif, who had taken a hard line against the ruling PTI. During a lengthy and closely watched visit to Karachi in August 2021, Shehbaz spent three days meeting industrialists, businessmen, political leaders, intellectuals, media professionals and other stakeholders.

As his visit drew to a close, he invited a select group of journalists over a cup of tea at a local hotel — an informal setting that followed days of intense political engagement and quiet maneuvering.

Ranging from foreign policy to the economy and from political uncertainty to the fast-eroding space for genuine democratic forces, he argued for the need of a political consensus keeping the audience gripped, unmoving, and fully attentive.

For Karachi’s journalists, the pleasant surprise came when Shehbaz Sharif spoke with rare candour about the neglect the city had long endured. He laid out his thinking on Karachi’s revival, outlining plans for its rebuilding and development, and spoke with calculated clarity about restoring the metropolis to its rightful status as the country’s financial capital.

“Believe [me] when I was chief minister of Punjab, I came to realise that funding or resources for development has never been an issue,” he cited before sharing his Karachi plan. “I have been here for three days meeting industrialists, businessmen, industrialists, political leaders, intellectuals, media persons, and many others. I firmly believe Karachi only needs political will and ownership to turn things around. We do have a strong, in-depth and comprehensive strategy for Karachi but let me share with you one thing very briefly.”

“The federal government would have to pump in more money every year for Karachi than what is allocated by the Sindh government in its annual budget for the city’s development. And this cycle should continue for 15 or maybe 20 years. Then we would be able to fix this city’s problems,” Shehbaz asserted.

His convictions were so firm that few dared to question his intentions or calculations. The formula put forward by the three-time chief minister of Punjab was accepted without scrutiny, leaving little room for dissent or debate.

When his statements began making headlines, many in Karachi believed their voices had finally been heard. There was a sense that the national leadership, if not immediately then eventually, would sit in Islamabad and work to address the city’s long-standing grievances.

More than four years on, however, those hopes have proven to be little more than wishful thinking. After serving 16 months as prime minister from April 2022 to August 2023 and returning to office again in March 2024, the expectations attached to his leadership remain unfulfilled for the Karachiites.

Why have his ideas and commitments for Karachi yet to translate into tangible outcomes? Is this due to an apparent shift in approach, or are there concrete plans that may materialise in the coming years? When contacted by Dawn, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal did not directly respond to these questions.

Instead, he pointed to the shrinking fiscal space available to Islamabad and the growing resource availability of the provinces over the years. Regardless of the views held by Karachi’s residents, experts, political parties, and other stakeholders, the federal minister maintains that the Centre is still “making a contribution” to the development of the metropolis.

“Federal government share in national development budget has shrunk from 50 per cent........

© Dawn Prism