The Sindh government has signed a deal with Chinese tech company Huawei to help make Karachi a smart city. The agreement was signed in Shanghai, China, on Friday, October 16, 2026, according to the Sindh Chief Minister’s office.
On the same day, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah met the Mayor of Shanghai, Zhu Zhongming. Murad Ali Shah asked for Shanghai’s help with city planning, public transport and online public services in Karachi. He also suggested that Karachi and Shanghai become “sister cities”, which means the two cities would work together and share ideas. Zhu Zhongming welcomed the idea, but nothing has been signed on this yet.
Flood warning for one area of Karachi comes first
The Huawei deal covers online government services, data centres, smart city systems and computer skills training for young people in Sindh.
Murad Ali Shah named four things to start in the first year:
- a system to warn people about floods and help run the city, starting in Karachi
- a plan for the Sindh government’s own data centre
- a training and technology centre at Karachi Education City
- computer skills courses and certificates for students, through Sindh’s universities
Earlier this week in Wuhan, Murad Ali Shah said the flood warning system should first start in one district of Karachi, and later cover the whole city. He said Karachi has more than 20 million people and needs better tools to handle traffic, water, garbage and flooding.
The government has not shared the cost or a date for any of this. Murad Ali Shah said a team from both sides will be formed to track the work. He also said the deal should be judged by the services people actually get, not by the signatures on paper.
Karachi Circular Railway was promised before
Murad Ali Shah also mentioned the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) as a big project for the city. People in Karachi have heard this promise many times. In 2016, Murad Ali Shah said the KCR would start by September 2017. In September 2025, the plan was still waiting for approval from China. In April 2026, the federal railways minister and Murad Ali Shah again agreed to bring it back.
