The Sindh government is moving forward with the development of a 75-acre Inclusive City project in Karachi’s Korangi area, bringing healthcare, rehabilitation, education, vocational training and residential facilities for persons with disabilities together within a single integrated campus.

The project, being developed through the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD), is planned near Shaheed Bhutto Expressway, also known as Shahrah-e-Bhutto. The Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and other provincial agencies are involved in coordinating infrastructure development, access roads and essential utility services.

Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah reviewed progress on the project on October 15, 2026, alongside Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi and KDA Director General Zain-ul-Abideen Ansari. Officials examined the approved master plan, proposed institutional facilities, infrastructure requirements and preparations for the first phase of development.

The project's comprehensive master plan was approved by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in October 2025 during a meeting of the Inclusive City Board of Directors. The development is intended to establish an accessible community where persons with disabilities can receive medical treatment, rehabilitation, education, professional training and residential support without travelling between multiple institutions across the city.

According to the approved plan, Inclusive City will include inpatient hospital facilities, outpatient departments, rehabilitation and clinical units, inclusive educational institutions, vocational training centres, residential blocks and assisted-living accommodation. Staff housing, recreational facilities and spaces for organisations working with persons with disabilities are also part of the proposed development.

The first phase prioritises hospital and outpatient facilities, rehabilitation units, vocational and inclusive schools, assisted-living and transitional housing units, and residential accommodation for staff. Infrastructure development is a major component of the project. Authorities are coordinating road connectivity, internal access, drainage, electricity, water supply, sewerage and gas connections to support the proposed buildings and institutional operations. The project site also requires particular attention to stormwater management because of its relatively low-lying location. The approved infrastructure planning includes drainage arrangements, stormwater recharge pits, reservoirs and channels intended to direct excess water towards the Malir River.

During the October 2026 review, the provincial administration also examined site preparation and directed the relevant departments to accelerate clearance activities, address encroachments and coordinate the remaining infrastructure works. KDA is separately undertaking road improvements connecting Korangi Causeway towards Baloch Colony Expressway. Although the road-widening scheme is not part of the Inclusive City campus, improvements to the surrounding transport network could support accessibility to the area. The project represents a significant addition to Karachi's planned institutional and residential infrastructure. Unlike a conventional housing development, Inclusive City is designed to combine specialist healthcare, educational institutions, rehabilitation centres and supported accommodation within an accessible environment.

The Sindh government has previously identified an initial allocation of Rs 5 billion for the initiative. However, the latest project review does not establish a revised total development cost or a confirmed opening date for the proposed facilities. With its master plan approved and preparatory activities progressing, the project's next milestones will depend on completion of site preparation, provision of infrastructure services and implementation of the planned healthcare, educational and residential buildings.

Novacare Hospitals (Private) Limited has achieved financial close on a Rs 17 billion syndicated Islamic project finance facility for the development of a 250-bed tertiary care hospital and an associated feeder clinic in Islamabad. The financing arrangement, led by the Bank of Punjab (BOP), was formally marked at a signing ceremony on October 20, 2026, attended by the project's sponsors, management and representatives of participating financial institutions. The hospital project has an estimated total cost of Rs 28.5 billion, comprising Rs 17 billion in syndicated Islamic financing and Rs 11.5 billion in equity contributions from its sponsors. BOP arranged and structured the financing facility, serving as Intercreditor Agent and Joint Mandated Lead Advisor and Arranger alongside United Bank Limited and Habib Bank Limited.

Pak China Investment Company Limited participated as Co-Arranger, while PAIR Investment Company Limited and Pak Libya Holding Company Limited joined the financing syndicate as lenders. The Bank of Punjab has committed Rs 5.8 billion of its own financing to the facility. According to the bank, the transaction represents Pakistan's first greenfield hospital project financed through a syndicated Islamic project finance arrangement. The financing structure is intended to mobilise long-term capital for healthcare infrastructure, providing an example of how Islamic financing can support large-scale hospital developments. The Novacare project is being developed in DHA Phase V, Islamabad, and will provide 250 beds for tertiary care services alongside an associated feeder clinic. Novacare Hospitals is affiliated with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the United Kingdom, an arrangement intended to support the hospital's clinical governance and healthcare service standards.

Speaking at the ceremony, BOP President and Chief Executive Officer Zafar Masud described the financing as an investment in healthcare rather than simply a banking transaction.

He said the agreement had required close cooperation between the project's sponsors and six participating financial institutions. Masud expressed hope that the financing framework would make it easier for future healthcare infrastructure projects in Pakistan to secure long-term funding. Novacare Hospitals Chief Executive Officer Hans Kedzierski thanked the participating institutions and outlined the company's plans to provide healthcare services aligned with international standards, with a focus on patient care. The financial close marks a significant step in securing the funding required for construction and development of the hospital and its associated facilities.

However, the financing announcement did not specify a final construction completion date, hospital opening date or timetable for admitting patients. The project's operational launch will depend on the completion of construction, commissioning and other necessary arrangements.