Also I've noticed a theme in our conversation that we're kind of exaggerating Karachi's situation. It isn't as bad and recently many improvements have come by.
South Karachi has developed rapidly in the past 5 years. An important new feature in Karachi are its skyscrapers and now developers have understood that the solution is not expansion but rather going taller and higher. Although the seeds of this construction boom were sown earlier, I'll give IK credit for his builders package as it really was a boost.
North Karachi is also catching up, however many neighborhoods are still in a horrible condition.
Moreover, a lot of work is being done on improving the situations of Karachi's main roads. Here are a few proposals that can help in the improvement of Karachi's infrastructure.
1) Expand M-9 to a 12 lane motorway due to the immense traffic. I know this is costly but it has to be done if the actual speed limit is to be reached.
2) Make Lyari Expressway a 10 lane road and open access for trucks from the port. This will greatly decrease inter city traffic as trucks will not use M.A Jinnah Road for access to M-9.
3) Discourage use of motorcycles and instead work and encouraging the use of bicycles in certain parts of Old Karachi.
4) Complete overhaul of the sewage system, which is already being done, but acceleration and a permanent solution instead of temporary cleanups is needed.
5) Cancellation of Bundal Island project. Much more feasible and better would be to build a project on the lines of the Malir River. This way natural damage would be minimized.
6) North-South connectivity should always have been priority no.1. After Kharian and Sialkot, no other city other than Gwadar should get a motorway until Karachi does.
Check Post #194 for infrastructure improvement.
You're right, PPP is holding it back and yes the US also faces similar issues.
It is not only PPP that holds Karachi hostage, many other players are at play too which to some extent include the federal government itself (as a receiver of taxes, it has the option of improving Karachi and in turn improving tax collection and ultimately benefitting Pakistan. Instead of using these taxes for a long term approach they would rather spend it on useless projects in Northern Punjab and KPK which yield little to no economic benefit. Ravi Riverfront is one of these useless projects. Spending a similar amount of cash on Karachi can lead to massive economic benefit but instead muh residential real estate project that damages the economy by pushing down agriculture.
