CM Sindh Defends Hyderabad Road Poles Plan
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has explained the Hyderabad road poles controversy, saying a newly built road in Hyderabad was opened to traffic while electricity poles still stood in the middle, calling the move part of a “grand plan” to pressure the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) into moving them.
The road, which connects Alamdar Chowk to Qasim Chowk and the Old National Highway, drew sharp public criticism after pictures and videos showed poles obstructing traffic on the newly paved stretch.
Shah said the provincial government deliberately allowed traffic to use the road before the poles were removed. The aim, he said, was to force HESCO to act after the utility delayed relocation work despite already receiving payment for it. His explanation was reported by ProPakistani, drawing on a Times of Karachi report.
Why the Hyderabad road poles were still standing
According to the chief minister, the project first needed land allocation from military authorities and cantonment boards. The Sindh chief secretary subsequently coordinated with the relevant authorities to arrange the required land.
The poles themselves were there before the road. The stretch was once an abandoned, waterlogged strip used for transmission, and the poles carry high-tension lines from a nearby 132-kV grid station. The road is a 1.6 kilometre dual carriageway, part of three road projects costing Rs1.06 billion, meant to ease traffic pressure on Qasim Chowk and Wadhu Wah in Qasimabad. Feature Pakistan reported earlier that the district administration had set November 10 for the poles to be moved.
What changed after the backlash
Shah said media coverage played an important role in speeding up the process. Following the public backlash, he said, HESCO had already removed 25 electricity poles from the road.
Separately, the district administration had earlier said 97 poles had been shifted by October 28, and that the remaining poles would be moved by November 10.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s office and provincial ministers clarified that the road project remains under construction. They stressed that authorities have neither officially completed nor inaugurated the road.
Why it matters
The episode shows how public pressure can move a stalled utility job. The government says it paid for the relocation, yet the poles stayed until pictures of motorists weaving between them spread online. The chief minister’s answer turns that embarrassment into a deliberate tactic, and the test of that claim is whether the remaining poles are gone by the November 10 date the district administration has given.
For Hyderabad’s commuters, the road itself is the point. The dual carriageway is meant to ease pressure on two busy junctions, and it cannot serve traffic as designed while poles stand in the carriageway. HESCO’s Hyderabad network has been flagged as a risk before, which makes the utility’s pace on this job part of a longer story.
Frequently asked questions
Why were electricity poles left in the middle of the Hyderabad road?
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said it was deliberate. He said the government opened the road to traffic before removing the poles to pressure HESCO, which had been paid for the relocation but delayed the work.
Which road is affected?
The road connects Alamdar Chowk to Qasim Chowk and the Old National Highway in Hyderabad. It is a 1.6 kilometre dual carriageway.
How many poles have been removed?
The chief minister said 25 poles were removed after the public backlash. The district administration had earlier said 97 poles had been shifted by October 28.
When will the remaining poles be removed?
The district administration has said the remaining poles will be moved by November 10.
Has the road been officially opened?
No. The mayor’s office and provincial ministers have clarified that the road project remains under construction and has neither been officially completed nor inaugurated.
