KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that the provincial government was work-ing on master plans for 31 cities to ensure planned, sustainable and inclusive urban development, with Karachi and Hyderabad among the major cities whose plans were being prepared. Addressing the Sindh Cities Forum 2026, organised by Sindh Master Planning Authority (SMPA) in col-laboration with NED University and UN-Habitat to mark World Cities Day at Golf Club’s Convention Centre, the chief minister said master planning was essential to address the growing challenges of ur-banisation, including unplanned construction, traffic congestion, water shortages, inadequate drainage and the effects of climate change. According to the minister for local government, housing and town planning, master plans for 17 cities had been completed, while work on the remaining 14 was in its final stages. The government had so far issued notification for the master plans of nine cities: Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Mithi, Islamkot, Dadu, Nawabshah and Naushahro Feroze. The CM said work on the master plans for Karachi and Hyderabad was progressing rapidly. Internation-al consultants had been engaged for Karachi’s master plan, which, he acknowledged, would be a par-ticularly challenging exercise given the city’s existing urban conditions. “Preparing...