Karachi mayor presents over Rs60 billion budget amid strong opposition protest

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab has presented a budget of more than Rs60 billion for the 2026–27 financial year before the City Council.

The budget prioritises addressing civic issues and restoring the city's infrastructure.

During his budget speech, the Mayor outlined the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's (KMC) achievements, revealing that more than 3.1 million square feet of road patchwork, over 12.3 million square feet of paver block installation, and approximately 400,000 running feet of sewerage works have been completed across the city.

He also highlighted the completion and rehabilitation of the Nursery Flyover, Jinnah Bridge and Shahrah-e-Shahid-e-Millat, while noting that the Azeempura Flyover was constructed in a record 93 days.

The Mayor further announced that Karachi has become the first city in Pakistan to issue municipal bonds to support urban development.

As a major relief measure for residents, he also declared the immediate abolition of charged parking fees at 32 KMC-managed sites.

Speaking on employee welfare, Barrister Murtaza Wahab stated that, for the first time in 25 years, KMC employees are receiving their salaries on time every month.

He added that Fire Brigade personnel have been granted time-scale promotions after 24 years, while health insurance has been extended to approximately 11,500 employees.

Under the proposed administrative reforms, all KMC assets will undergo GIS mapping and digital archiving.

In addition, digital payments will be introduced through Pakistan's Raast payment system, while the pension process for retired employees will be migrated to the SAP system, alongside the introduction of pension cards.