The Government of Karachi is the administrative body for the city of Karachi, Pakistan. Presently the Karachi Local Government system consists mainly of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, headed by the Mayor or Administrator.
Karachi local government system history
Karachi City Municipal Act, Colonial LG system (1933) The City of Karachi Municipal Act was promulgated in 1933. Initially the Municipal Corporation consisted of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and 57 Councillors. The system was handled by bureaucrats at all tiers of the government, there was no financial devolution. The institutions were never truly empowered, as the Deputy Commissioner; a district level agent of the non-representative central bureaucracy was the principal actor at the local level. The British rule introduced rural urban divide to the local level. The urban councils were created to cater municipal services while the rural councils were used to homogenize local elite.
Electoral College Ordinance (1958-1969) This was promulgated by Ayub Khan and contained some authorities such as the LG system could levy some taxes, political parties were banned from participating in the LG elections but like the colonial system the bureaucrats still presided all tiers of the government above UC (Union counsel). Yahya Khan became the new president. Under Martial Law he issued the order No. 24 to terminate all local council's chairmen, vice chairmen and councilors with the appointment of government officials.
The system consisted of two bodies, Karachi municipal corporation and Divisional council and their functions were establishment of college, schools, parks, municipal gardens. Divisional council had a special committee which looked after planning and development of roads, educational institutions and residential societies.
This system upheld colonial urban-rural divide. The system had four tiers;
The Union council members were directly elected but subsequent tiers consisted of indirectly elected officials nominated by the government and pre appointed officials, hence the system was ruled by bureaucracy which could suspend resolutions, end the proceedings and overrule any action of the local bodies.
Sindh Local Government Act (1973) In the Sindh Local government act 1973 (amended in 1976), the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation was established. In 1976, the Karachi Municipal Corporation was upgraded to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. The administrative area of Karachi was a second-level subdivision known as the Karachi Division, which was subdivided into five districts: Karachi Central, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi West, and Malir. No elections were held under this system. Although never implemented, the act abolished bureaucracy and provided representation of members through direct elections.
Sindh Local Government Ordinance 1979
This act was passed by the military dictator General Zia ul Haq which resembled the Local government system of Ayub Khan. The Urban local governance consisted of Town Committees, Municipal Committees, Municipal Corporations and Metropolitan Corporations. In the Rural Areas the system provided a three tier system: Union Councils, Tehsil or Taluka Councils and District Councils. This system upheld urban-rural divide but provided Local councils considerable power to launch schemes, review and implement development programs, and perform functions of other government Departments. In 1992, the elected mayor system was abolished and the appointed Administrator System was implemented from 1992 to 2001.
According to the act, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had a mandate of overseeing medical facilities, fire fighting, town planning, municipal police, kutchi abadi, civil defence. Karachi water & Sewerage Board board, and Karachi Development Authority housing schemes.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation didn't get to acquire the power for property tax collection under the act despite several efforts by its mayors which accounted for 7.2% of its total revenues, the Sindh government was inefficient in collecting property tax and according to the world bank Staff Upraisal report of 1993, delegating it to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation could have raised its potential from Rs 200 million to Rs 2 billion.
SLGO 1987 amendment
in 1987 Sindh government made Zonal Municipal Committees and delegated most of the development powers of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to four DMCs East, west, Central and South respectively, similar to District Municipal corporations of 2016.
Sindh Local Government Ordinance (LGO of 2001)