Mayor of Karachi

Mayor of Karachi (Urdu: ; ) is the executive of the Karachi metropolitan corporation and the Karachi local government system of the city of Karachi which is the third tier of governance in Pakistan after Federal and provincial governments.



Ancient local government system in South Asia
The history of Karachi dates back to ancient periods. Before the Christian era, various towns and cities existed near the present day Karachi such as Barbarikon, Debal, and Banbhore. Local government system in the Indian subcontinent dates back to Mauryan empire or earlier. Public drains and sewage system, solid waste management, public dust bins, and street lamps at Mohenjo Daro indicate the presence of municipal organizations and services. During the Mauryan empire, a council of thirty commissioners was divided into six committees or boards which governed the city of Pataliputra and handled affairs such as fixing wages, controlling manufacturing and supplies, arrangement of foreign dignitaries, tourists and foreigners, handling records and registrations, collection of sales taxes, trade regulation, issuing licenses for weights and measurements, and municipal responsibilities. During ancient times, the Mayor of the city was called Nagarika and in the medieval periods, Kotwals came to administer major towns and cities. The mayors were appointed by the King rather than being elected. The Panchayat (assembly of five elders) system traced in the Rig Veda back to 1200 BC (Alok 2006).

British Indian Empire
The first local government elections in Karachi were held on 1 November 1884 and Karachi municipality was authorized to elect its president. Jamshed Nusserwanji Mehta became the first elected mayor of Karachi in 1933 when Karachi municipal corporation was first created from Karachi municipal committee, he served as the president of the Karachi municipal committee for 20 years prior. Owing to multiethnic composition, the different religious groups took turns as mayors of Karachi such as Parsis, Muslims, Hindus and Christians until the Independence of Pakistan in 1947.

Post Independence
First unofficial party based mayors were elected during the era of Zia ul Haq and Jamaat-e-Islami politician Abdul Sattar Afghani became the first mayor of Karachi with predominant political representation though the mayors remained unauthoritative. During the presidential rule of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the local governments were reinstated with much better powers and control, which lasted until 2010. Under directives of Pakistan Supreme court in 2016, the local government system was revived but the provincial amendments to the local government act diminished the mayoral authority which once again became superficial and powerless.

Administrative divisions
The current Karachi Local Government System follows Sindh Local Government Act 2013 (SLGA 2013)

The Karachi Local Government consists of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation which is subdivided into 25 Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs) which are headed by a chairman and a vice chairman. Each town is further divided into union committees (UCs) for a total of 246 union committees in Karachi which are headed by a chairman and a vice chairman as well. Each union committee is further subdivided into four wards. The local government elections directly elect the UC chairman/vice chairman panel and the 4 ward members of each UC. There are reserved seats for women, non-Muslim minorities, youth members, labor and transgenders in a union committee, all of which are indirectly elected by the direct election of chairman/vice chairman panel. There are 121 reserved seats in the city council.

The chairman of a union committee belongs to the city council (KMC) and elects the mayor/deputy mayor candidate, while the vice chairman of a union committee elects the chairman/vice chairman of the Town Municipal corporation (TMC).

246 union committee seats alongside 121 reserved seats make up the city council of 367 seats.

The City Hall
The historic and iconic building of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) houses the offices of mayor and deputy mayor of the city and the city council hall with 367 members (union committee chairmen). The foundation of the building was laid in 1927 and the construction was completed in 1930. The cost of building was 1,725,000 RS.

KDA Scheme 1 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal 'Camp Office' is the official residence for the Deputy Mayor of Karachi.

Mayors of Karachi (1933–1962)
Karachi mayors were elected through Karachi Municipal Corporation elections or appointed.

Mayors of Karachi (1979 – present)
Former President of Pakistan Zia ul Haq conducted first popular local government elections in 1979 which were non party based but the parties still fielded their candidates. The victorious mayor Abdul Sattar Afghani was affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami.

Election
The most recent local government elections were held in 2023 and mayor elections took place through voting of chairmen of union committees (members of KMC) on 15th June 2023. Murtaza Wahab, mayoral candidate of PPP was elected as the mayor of Karachi.

Authority & Functions
KMC's functions include flyovers, storm water drains (nullahs), special development programmes, maintenance work,  municipal watch and ward, fire fighting services, civil defense, traffic engineering, management of milk supply schemes, encroachment management on its land and properties, celebration of national days, reception of foreign dignitaries/distinguished guests.

106 roads & arterial thoroughfares of Karachi, 38 flyovers and 37 storm water drains (nullahs) of Karachi come under KMC's control. Alongside that, KMC also controls and manages 7 medical institutes/hospitals in Karachi, including: Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC), Karachi institute of Heart disease (KIHD), Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Sobhraj Maternity Home, Sarfaraz Shaheed Hospital, Spencer’s Eye Hospital and Leprosy Hospital. KMC is also responsible for maintaining Zoological Gardens, Safari Parks, Aquariums, Sports Complexes, Beeches, Art Galleries, Museums and Metropolitan Libraries under its jurisdiction.

The mayor of Karachi is also the chairman of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the divisional board of the Sindh Solid Waste Management board for Karachi.

Major municipal institutes like Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Lyari Development Authority (LDA), Malir Development Authority (MDA), Sindh Mass Transit Authority and the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) are still under the provincial government which restricts the control of KMC over the city and limits the powers of a mayor.

Budget
Karachi budget formulated by its mayors during first and last years of their tenure.