Governing Karachi

Karachi continues to be one of the most unlivable cities in the world, a city that seems to be dying a death by a thousand cuts thanks to a profound failure of governance. The horrible state of the city and its public services becomes even more concerning when considering that it is also the country's economic engine. Other financial capitals also have problems, such as population strain, crime, poverty, traffic and lack of social services. Karachi, however, has all of them at the same time. Meanwhile, elected officials and policymakers at every level continue to fail miserably in their attempts to address any issues.

But as solutions go, the recent call from MQM-P to declare Karachi a federal territory is a non-starter. It will not fix the problem, but could make things worse because governance from afar is effectively 'colonialism light', and Karachi needs to be governed by its own citizens, not a viceroy from Islamabad.

Karachi's biggest problem is actually a total breakdown of local accountability. No one is in clear, responsible charge. Jurisdiction over roads, sewers and water is split between overlapping entities like KMC and KWSC, creating a labyrinth where responsibility is always someone else's problem. Centralising control under Islamabad would not simplify this puzzle, but it would relocate the political battleground away from the capital, further distancing power from the people.

What Karachi does need is better governance. No elected government in Islamabad has ever lasted beyond its term, though even these tenures have been stained by failure to provide for Karachi. At the provincial level, however, the PPP has had uninterrupted control for over 17 years, yet despite almost two decades of setbacks, the party is also unwilling to bring in new blood, lest they shake up the party's internal balance. At the grassroots level, local administrations have either been rendered powerless due to budget concerns or a lack of interest in governance, both of which also reflect the divided nature of our politics, where one leader's blessings are enough to get even the most disappointing elected officials keep their seats.