Mayor Murtaza Wahab initiates probe into utilisation of 246 UC funds

Following tensions between Jamaat-e-Islami and Mayor Murtaza Wahab, after both the public and political parties held him responsible for open manholes, the mayor responded by directing all 246 Union Councils to submit a complete audit of their fund usage.

Wahab has formally written to the Director General of Local Council Audit, requesting a detailed review covering the last three years of UC expenditures. He stressed that examining financial records from the full three-year period is crucial to assessing their performance.

He further instructed that the audit must verify the utilisation of the monthly allocation of Rs 12 lakh, adding that a special audit is essential to obtain an accurate and transparent account of how the funds have been spent.

KMC officials shared the following financial breakdown:

Between June 2023 and September 2024—a span of 16 months—Union Councils received a total of Rs 1.96 billion (196 crore) in monthly disbursements.

From September 2024 onward, payments were revised to Rs 12 lakh per month, bringing the total to Rs 4.42 billion (442 crore).

Authorities noted that monthly allocations began at Rs 5 lakh per UC, later increased to Rs 12 lakh, and have now risen to Rs 13 lakh.

During the Rs 5 lakh phase, each UC withdrew Rs 80 lakh in total, and during the Rs 12 lakh phase, they received Rs 1.80 crore.

Overall, each Union Council has received around Rs 2.60 crore over the past 31 months.

Altogether, Karachi’s 246 UCs have been issued more than Rs 6.39 billion (639 crore) during these 31 months. @215220962234538