KARACHI: Karachiites have elected more than 12000 local councillors but still the megacity stinks with littered streets and overflowing gutters, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday, saying only aggressive and zealous work of elected local government representatives could help making the megacity liveable.
He said Karachi’s citizens have elected more than 1,200 local councillors across 246 union committees, yet in many neighbourhood streets remain littered with garbage and sewerage lines continue to overflow. He said in a city of over 20 million people, the local government structure is supposed to bring governance closer to the people. Yet for many Karachiites, basic civic complaints remain unresolved for weeks and sometimes months.
He said Karachi generates around 14,000–16,000 tons of solid waste every day, but complaints about uncollected garbage are routine across many areas of the city.
He said with seven districts and hundreds of union committees, Karachi has one of the largest local government structures in the country. Despite this large representative network, everyday civic issues still dominate public complaints.
He said the promise of local government is simple: problems should be solved close to where they occur. But in Karachi, citizens often find themselves chasing distant departments rather than receiving help from their own elected representatives. Altaf Shakoor said Karachi contributes nearly 60–65 percent of Pakistan’s national revenue, yet basic municipal services in many neighbourhoods remain inadequate.
He said Karachi does not lack representatives; it lacks active representation. Until councillors reconnect with the streets and the people who elected them, grassroots governance will remain missing in Pakistan’s largest city.
He said the citizens instead of pinning hopes on ministers should contact their local councillors, urging them to play their due role. He said without active councillors grassroots governance is missing in Karachi and this issue must be resolved with topmost priority.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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