KMC Hosts Civil Services Academy Delegation, Highlights Karachi’s Development Challenges

By: Aziz Khatri

 Karachi: A delegation of MCMC–PAS participants from the 14th Domain Course of the Civil Services Academy (PAS Campus), Lahore, visited the head office of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) as part of their study tour.

Municipal Commissioner KMC, Sumaira Hussain, gave a comprehensive briefing on Karachi’s history, administrative evolution, local government system, and ongoing development affairs. Senior Director Coordination to the Mayor of Karachi, Akhlaq Ahmed Yousafzai, was also present on the occasion.

During the briefing, the Municipal Commissioner highlighted the historical significance of Karachi and the evolution of its municipal governance. She said the city’s municipal system was established in 1846, later becoming a Municipal Commission in 1852 and a Municipal Committee in 1853. In 1933, Karachi was granted the status of a Municipal Corporation, which was later transformed into the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in 1976.

She further explained that the Sindh Local Government Ordinance was implemented in 1979, while the City District Government Karachi was established in 2001 with 18 Town Municipal Administrations and 178 Union Councils. In 2011, KMC, along with five District Municipal Corporations and the District Council Karachi, was restored. Under the Sindh Local Government Act 2013, the structure of KMC, seven District Municipal Corporations, and one District Council was introduced. In 2021, 25 Town Municipal Corporations were established in Karachi Division, making KMC the only Metropolitan Corporation in Sindh.

Sumaira Hussain also briefed the delegation on Karachi’s prominent heritage sites, including Khaliq Dina Hall and Library, Mohatta Palace Museum, Merewether Clock Tower, Quaid-e-Azam House Museum, Frere Hall, Chaukhandi Tombs, Empress Market, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Jehangir Kothari Parade, and the KMC Main Building.

She said Karachi is the country’s economic lifeline and commercial hub, adding that Pakistan’s overall progress is closely linked to the city’s development. Improved industrial activity, better educational institutions, and enhanced urban infrastructure, she noted, would generate employment opportunities and improve the quality of life for citizens nationwide.

Stressing collective responsibility, she said citizens must take ownership of the city’s development and cleanliness. “Just as we care for our homes, we must care for our city,” she remarked.

At the conclusion of the visit, Municipal Commissioner Sumaira Hussain presented a commemorative shield to the head of the delegation on behalf of KMC.