Authorities in Hyderabad have begun removing the electricity poles left standing in the middle of the newly paved Qasimabad road, after viral videos of the bizarre scene drew anger and ridicule across Pakistan. Geo News reported the removal action in a breaking news report on 2 November 2026, saying the poles that had turned the thoroughfare into an obstacle course were being taken down following widespread public concern about safety.
The move marks the first visible action on the ground since the footage emerged in late October, and officials say the relocation of the remaining poles is targeted for completion by 10 November 2026.
What the viral footage showed
The newly built 1.6-kilometre dual carriageway links Alamdar Chowk with the Old National Highway near Qasim Chowk in Hyderabad. Videos circulating on social media in late October showed motorists weaving between tall electricity poles planted directly in the paved carriageway, turning a brand-new blacktop surface into what commentators called an obstacle course.
The footage spread quickly, drawing sharp criticism of the province’s road planners and raising questions about how a road could be declared complete while poles still stood in the middle of it.
A spokesperson for the Hyderabad mayor’s office said 162 electricity poles were scheduled for relocation, with 10 of the 27 power feeders already shifted, and advised citizens not to use the road until the construction and pole relocation were finished.
Removal action begins after the public outcry
According to Geo News, the authorities have now taken down utility poles that stood directly in the middle of the road. The report describes the road as cleared and safe for public commuting, following the safety hazards that drew criticism from citizens and motorists.
Aaj News had earlier reported that 25 poles were to be removed from the road corridor, while footage shared online in recent days showed line-shifting work progressing along the Alamdar Chowk–Old National Highway link road, including the relocation of 11KV electric lines.
Officials caution, however, that the relocation work is still underway. The full shifting of the remaining poles is expected by 10 November 2026, a target officials have described as an expectation rather than a firm commitment, so the job is not yet finished.
HESCO’s defence: the poles were there first
Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) chief Faizullah Dahri has maintained that the poles were in place before the road project was even approved. According to Asal Media’s account of the HESCO chief’s statement, he said no roadway existed at the location previously and that construction was still underway.
According to Dahri, the poles supply 27 feeders linked to the 132kV Qasimabad Grid Station. The company has installed 100 new poles at the site, of which 62 have already been installed or shifted, and work to relocate the rest is proceeding rapidly.
The HESCO chief also stressed that the road remains under construction and has not been officially opened to traffic — a position echoed by the Hyderabad administration, which maintains that the final asphalt layer has not yet been laid.
Chief minister blames HESCO
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has publicly blamed HESCO for the fiasco. According to media accounts of his remarks, he said the Sindh government had paid for the relocation of the poles, but they were not removed, and that their removal began only after widespread media criticism. These are statements attributed to the chief minister; HESCO has not publicly addressed the payment claim.
The road is part of three development schemes that together cost about Rs1.06 billion, according to Milkiyat’s analysis of the Qasimabad road development. The administration continues to insist the road has not been formally opened, and that motorists using it are doing so before the work is finished.
What to watch next
The immediate test is whether HESCO completes the remaining pole relocation by the 10 November target. After that, attention will turn to the completion of the final asphalt layer and the formal opening of the road.
Beyond the road itself, the episode has become a talking point about coordination between power utilities and development authorities in Sindh — and a reminder of what happens when infrastructure is built first and the planning questions come later.
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