Mayor of Karachi
ناظم کراچی
Incumbent
Murtaza Wahab
since 15 June 2023
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation
Residence'Camp Office' KDA Scheme 1, Gulshan-e-Iqbal
SeatKMC Building
AppointerKarachi Metropolitan Corporation
Term length4 years
Constituting instrumentKarachi City Municipal Act
FormationNov 1933
DeputySalman Murad, Deputy Mayor of Karachi
Websitekmc.gos.pk

Mayor of Karachi (Urdu: ناظم کراچی; Sindhi: ميئر ڪراچي‎) 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.

Presently the post resides with Sindh government appointed Administrator until elections are held.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Building (KMC) completed in 1932 houses the city counsel hall for seating of general counsel meeting for 304 elected counselors and the offices of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor

History

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).[1]

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.[2] 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 of 7 District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) which are headed by Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen. the districts or Zila of Karachi Local Government as of Sindh local government act 2013 are District Central, District West, District East, District South, Malir Korangi and Keamari District. Each district is further divided into Union Committees (UCs) which are headed by Chairmen and vice chairmen. Each Union committee is further sub divided into four wards. The Local government elections directly elect the UC chairmen/vice chairmen panel and the 4 ward members of each UC. the seats are reserved for women, non Muslim minorities, youth members and labours in a Union Committee all of which are indirectly elected by the direct election of chairman/vice chairman panel.

The chairman of a Union committee belongs to the City council/KMC and elects the Mayor/deputy mayor candidate, while the Vice Chairman of Union Committee elects the chairman/Vice chairman of District Municipal corporation (DMC) and works in District municipal corporation office.

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 304 members (Union committee chairmen). The foundation of the building was laid in 1927 and the construction was completed on 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.[3]

List of mayors

Mayors of Karachi (1933–1962)

Karachi mayors were elected through Karachi Municipal Corporation elections or appointed.

List of mayors of Karachi (1933–1962)
No Name of nazim Starting term Ending term Notes
1 Jamshed Nusserwanji Mehta November 1933 August 1934 First Mayor of Karachi, 1st Parsi mayor[4]
2 Teakum Dass Vadhumull 30 August 1934 3 May 1935 First Hindu mayor of the city[5]
3 Qazi Khuda Bukhsh 3 May 1935 9 May 1936 First Muslim mayor of the city[6]
4 Ardeshir H. Mama 9 May 1936 4 May 1937 2nd Parsi mayor[5]
5 Durgadas Advani 4 May 1937 6 May 1938 Amil Sindhi business magnate[5]
6 Hatim Ali Alavi 6 May 1938 5 May 1939 [5]
7 R.K. Sidhwa 5 May 1939 7 May 1940 [5]
8 Lalji Malhootra 7 May 1940 6 May 1941 [5]
9 Muhammad Hashim Gazdar 6 May 1941 8 May 1942 [5]
10 Soharab K.H. Katrak 8 May 1942 11 May 1943 Parsi historian and author[5]
11 Shambo Nath Molraaj 11 May 1943 10 May 1944 [5]
12 Yousaf Abdullah Haroon 10 May 1944 8 May 1945 son of Sir Abdullah Haroon[5]
13 Manuel Misquita 8 May 1945 1 May 1946 First Christian mayor of Karachi, former president of Goan Pakistani[7][5]
14 Wishram Das Dewan Das 9 May 1946 9 May 1947 [5]
15 Hakeem Muhammad Ahsan 9 May 1947 25 May 1948 [5]
16 Ghulam Ali Alana 25 May 1948 8 July 1948 1st post- independence mayor of the city, Biographer of founder of Pakistan[8]
17 Allah Bakhsh Gabol (1st term) Apr 1951 10 January 1953 Grandfather of politician Nabil Gabol[8]
18 H.M. Habibullah Paracha (first term) 1953 1954 Grandfather of Habib Paracha (an American-Pakistani film-maker[9])[10]
19 Mahmoud Haroon 19 January 1954 26 May 1955 Founder Editor of Khaleej Times and second son of Sir Abdullah Haroon[8]
20 Al-Haj Malik Bagh Ali 26 May 1955 29 May 1956 [8]
21 Siddique Wahab 30 May 1956 14 December 1956 [8]
22 S.M.Taufiq 14 June 1958 14 October 1958 [8]
23 Allah Bakhsh Gabol (2nd term) May 1961 October 1962 [8]
Administrator system (1962–1979)

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.[11]

List of mayors of Karachi (since 1979)
No Name of nazim Deputy Mayor (Naib Nazim) Starting term Ending term Party Notes
24 Abdul Sattar Afghani (1st term) Umer Yousuf

Deda

 9 November 1979 7 November 1983 Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Non-partisan Local govt by Gen. Zia, KMC established its subsidiary body the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board in 1983.[12]
25 Abdul Sattar Afghani (2nd term) Abdul Khaliq

Allahwala

 7 November 1983 14 February 1987 Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdul Sattar Afghani was arrested by police under section 144 when he was leading the councilor's procession outside the Sindh Assembly building.[13] The elected council was then suspended[13] and Saeed Ahmed Siddiqui was appointed as the administrator of KMC.
Administrator System implemented from 1987–1988
26 Farooq Sattar Abdul Razik

Khan[14]

 9 January 1988 27 July 1992 MQM Youngest Mayor of the world at the age of 28.[15] The elected council of KMC was suspended in July 1992, just after a month when an operation clean-up was launched by the federal government in Karachi in June 1992, and replaced the Mayor with an administrator, appointed by the government.
Administrator System implemented from 1992–2001[14]
27 Naimatullah Khan Muhammad Tariq Hassan[14] 14 August 2001 June 2005 Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Non-partisan City District govt 2001–2010 by Gen. Musharraf, under Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO) 2001.[14] He resigned from his office in June 2005.
28 Syed Mustafa Kamal Nasreen Jalil 17 October 2005 February 2010 MQM [16][17]
Commissioner System implemented from 2010–2016[18]
29 Waseem Akhtar Arshad Vohra 30 August 2016 29 August 2020 MQM First party based Local elections of Pakistan, under Sindh Local Govt Act (SLGA 2013). Arshad Vohra served as acting mayor Aug, 30 2016 to Nov, 16 2016 before release of Waseem Akhtar.[19] Vohra was removed when he joined PSP in 2018.[20]
Arshad Hassan[21]
Administrator system implemented from 30 August 2020 – 5 January 2023[22][23]
30 Murtaza Wahab Salman Murad 15 June 2023 13 June 2027 Pakistan People's Party [24]

Election

The most recent Local government elections were held in 2015 and mayor elections took place through voting of chairmen of union committees (members of KMC) on 24 August 2016.

Karachi Mayor Election, 2016
#
Party
 Candidate KMC Percentage
1 Muttahida Qaumi Movement Waseem Akhtar208 68.2%
2 Pakistan Peoples Party Karamullah Waqasi 86 28.2%
3 did not vote -11 3.6%
Total 305 100%

* The 308 directly and indirectly elected members of Union Committee of KMC voted for Mayor of Karachi on 24 August 2016. Waseem Akhter comfortably defeated 6 party alliance formed to contest against the city's dominant political force, the MQM[25]

PTI Karachi leader Faisal Vawda submitted petition for the disqualification of Karachi mayor-elect Waseem Akhter few hours before his oath taking ceremony in the Sindh High Court.[26] Sindh High Court withdrew his production orders and all sessions judges in Karachi were stopped from administering the oath after not getting clearance from the Sindh High Court.[27] Faisal Vawda petition was later rejected and second production orders were issued.[28]

Waseem Akhter was crowned mayor of Karachi on 30 August 2016. Ceremony was held at Polo Ground.

Authority

According to Sindh Assembly parliamentarian, Khurrum Sher Zaman, the outgoing Karachi mayor, Waseem Akhter was powerless.[29]

The Outgoing mayor, Waseem Akhter stated that the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB), Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA; renamed to SBCA), the Karachi Revenue Department, the Karachi Land Registry, KMTA, the Karachi Department of Transportation (now SMTA), and the KSWMA (now SSWMA) were removed from Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and merged into the KDA. The Karachi Development Authority (KDA) itself was divided into the Malir Development Authority and Lyari Development Authority. Most powers of these city agencies were taken over by the Sindh provincial government for instance by creation of Sindh government bodies like Sindh Building Control Authority. (SBCA).[30] According to SLGA 2013, the Octroi Zila tax was taken away from KMC and Sindh government has provided annual release of funds which were not even enough to pay the salaries of its 24,000 employees. According to the act the provincial government reserved powers to terminate any official of the local body.[2]

The Mayor has only the function of road construction and maintenance, managing big hospitals and Karachi Medical & Dental College, Karachi Zoo, Safari Park, City Aquarium, Sports Complex, Art Gallery, Museum, Metropolitan Library, Fire Fighting, Civil Defense, Traffic Engineering, removal of encroachments and few other affairs.[31] According to a review report, the powers of the KMC seemed strangely limited given its status as the biggest LG body in Sindh. Some key LG functions did not fall under the purview of the KMC, e.g., health, education, environment, overall development, security etc. and other functions which were included under its domain fr instance control of stray animals, brick kilns and cattle colonies seem trivial for it and more appropriate for UCs. The six DMCs were made almost independent with little connection with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. moreover, the DMCs (District Municipal corporations) and even UCs (Union Committees) controlled by the PPP liaise directly with the provincial government for funds and direction, bypassing the KMC.[32]

According to world bank report, revenues of Karachi local government or KMC are inadequate, with a high dependence on fiscal transfers from Government of Sindh accounting for more than 80% of its revenue. Mandates are limited, with Government of Sindh recently "recentralizing" municipal services such as Sindh waste Management (SWM).[33] The taxes assigned to KMC were much smaller than the ones assigned to other Local governments despite the fact that KMC was the largest LG body in Sindh

The powers of the Mayor of Karachi is as follows.[34]

Powers of Mayor of Karachi (KMC)
Services own

and

operate

 set and

enforce

policies

 Budgetary

and

revenue

control

 set vision
Energy supply *check *check *check *check
Finance and economy
Public Transport
City roads check check check
Urban land use
Waste management *check *check *check *check
Water management *check *check *check *check
Security
Education
Health
Environment
Development
Fire Fighting check check check check

* Limited

Budget

Karachi budget formulated by its mayors during first and last years of their tenure.[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]

Budget of Karachi under mayorship (1979–2020)
Fiscal

Year

 Amount

(Rs. Billion)

 Amount

($. Million)

 Mayor Administrator Notes
1979–80 0.459 Abdul Sattar Afghani
1984–85 1.127 83.4 sic -
1987–88 sic
1988–89 1.936 105 Farooq Sattar revenues grew at an average rate of 11 per year from 1988 to 1992,

well below the nominal growth of Karachi (ADB study).[39]

1991–92 2.841 115 sic
2001-02 5.7 Naimatullah Khan -
2004-05 43.8 740 sic -
2006-07 44.2 730 Mustafa Kamal -
2009-10 52.36 610 sic -
2017–18 27.1 251 Waseem Akhter -
2020–21 24.8 150 sic -

See also

References

  1. ↑ Narain Singh Kalota (1978). India As Described By Megasthenes.
  2. 1 2 Jamal, Rashid (2019). "Comparative Analysis of Municipal Powers in Karachi". Pakistan Perspective. 24 (2). ISSN 2707-899X.
  3. ↑ "KDA, KMC battle over deputy mayor's official residence". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "In memoriam: Jamshed Nusserwanji: The builder of modern Karachi". Dawn (newspaper). 6 August 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "'Karachi under the Raj 1843–1947'". Dawn (newspaper). 21 November 2004.
  6. ↑ "KARACHI: Qazi Khuda Bakhsh remembered". Dawn (newspaper). 25 February 2003. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Karachi's forgotten communities". The Nation (newspaper). 25 October 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Over 24 mayors served Karachi since 1933". The News International (newspaper). 5 December 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "American-Pakistani filmmaker Habib Paracha returns with The Last Full Measure". The News International (newspaper). 6 February 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  10. ↑ "Book on former Karachi mayor Habibullah Paracha launched". Dawn (newspaper). 31 August 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "2005 Pakistan final report local elections commonwealth aceproject.org".
  12. ↑ "Sattar Afghani passes away". Business Recorder (newspaper). 5 November 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  13. 1 2 "KARACHI: Abdus Sattar Afghani passes away". Dawn (newspaper). 5 November 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "1979-2019: Who all controlled Karachi?". SAMAA TV. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "From KU to UK: For an Urdu-speaking leader, an English biography opens his message to the world". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 17 July 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "KARACHI: Mustafa vows to help solve city's major problems: City government nazims, councillors administered oath". Dawn (newspaper). 18 October 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  17. ↑ "KARACHI: Nasreen sworn in as naib nazim". Dawn (newspaper). 4 January 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  18. ↑ "Commissionerate system restored in Sindh". Dawn (newspaper). 10 July 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  19. ↑ "Deputy to exercise powers till mayor remains in jail". The News International (newspaper). 2 September 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "ECP disqualifies Karachi Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 13 March 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  21. ↑ "Arshad Hasan takes oath as deputy mayor". Dawn (newspaper). 26 April 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  22. ↑ "Iftikhar Shallwani is the new Karachi administrator | SAMAA". Samaa TV. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Appointments of Karachi, Hyderabad administrators suspended". The News International (newspaper). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  24. ↑ Khan, Imtiaz Ali | Asim (15 June 2023). "Karachi mayor polls: 8 detained as clashes erupt between JI, PPP after Murtaza Wahab emerges victorious". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Jailed MQM leader takes oath as Karachi mayor today | ePaper | DAWN.COM". epaper.dawn.com. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  26. ↑ "Faisal Vawda seeks Waseem Akhtar's disqualification as mayor Karachi". 29 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  27. ↑ "Controversy over oath-taking of Karachi mayor | SAMAA TV". Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  28. ↑ "SHC dismisses Vawda's petition to stop Waseem Akhtar from taking oath as Mayor". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  29. ↑ "Karachi administrator is toothless: PTI". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  30. ↑ "Will new Karachi mayor be the "Mayor" Karachi needs?". Global Village Space. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  31. ↑ Local and City Government Handbook Province of Sindh and Karachi City – USAID
  32. ↑ Murtaza, Niaz; Ahmed Rid, Saeed (2017). Undermining Local Governance: A Review of the Sindh Local Government System, 2013. INSPIRING (Institute of Progressive Ideas to Re-Inform Governance) Pakistan Islamabad. p. 8.
  33. ↑ International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Project Appraisal Document on a Proposed Loan in the Amount of US$230 Million to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for a Competitive and Livable City of Karachi Project 6 June 2019 (UNDP)
  34. ↑ "C40". www.c40.org. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  35. ↑ "KARACHI: Rs52.3bn city govt budget passed unanimously". DAWN.COM. 27 June 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  36. ↑ Baloch, Latif (1 July 2007). "KARACHI: Rs45,695m CDGK budget approved". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  37. ↑ "CDGK unveils Rs44 billion budget". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  38. ↑ "KMC budgets: Why they went up and down | SAMAA". Samaa TV. 5 September 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  39. 1 2 Document of The World Bank Report No. 11106-PAK STAFF APPRAISAL REPORT PAKISTAN SINDH SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT NOVEMBER 24, 1993 Energy and Infrastructure Operations Division Country Department III South Asia Region
  40. ↑ DAHLBURG, JOHN-THOR (31 December 1994). "Down-to-Earth Pakistani Pilot Tries to Clean Up 'Nightmare' City : Asia: Faheem Zaman went from flying Bhutto around to running Karachi. Now he's rising above graft". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  41. ↑ Urban government finances in Karachi – World Bank
  42. ↑ Ghaus, Aisha (1989). "Municipal, Financesa Case Study of Karachi". Pakistan Economic and Social Review. 27 (2): 77–108. ISSN 1011-002X. JSTOR 25825036.
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