KARACHI: Just a day after he hinted that he is prepared to take action and demand full accountability of towns and union committees, Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Thursday sought a special financial audit of all union committees of the city for the last three fiscal years.

The decision was taken with a view to strengthening financial transparency, ensuring public accountability, improving municipal governance and guaranteeing effective utilisation of public funds, according to an official communique.

In letter to the Director General, Local Council Audit, with copies to the auditor general of Pakistan and chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Sindh, the mayor requested an urgent and comprehensive audit of all 246 UCs operating across the city.

According to the letter, the Sindh government provides Rs1.2 million per month to each UC, amounting to a significant recurring expenditure from the public exchequer. Despite this substantial allocation, there is currently no concrete mechanism or verified system to assess how these funds are being utilised at the UC level.

“In the absence of a structured financial audit conducted by the Auditor General of Pakistan, the performance, expenditure patterns and financial discipline of UCs cannot be properly evaluated.

Says lack of oversight not only creates loopholes, but also prevents service delivery at grass-roots level

“The lack of oversight not only creates loopholes but also prevents identification of gaps that could undermine service delivery at the grassroots level,” he said.

“The objective is not merely to audit accounts, but also to ensure that public funds are being utilised efficiently, transparently, and for the welfare of Karachi’s citizens. A special audit will help ascertain actual expenditures, highlight weaknesses, and strengthen the overall financial governance of the UCs.”

He further emphasised that Karachi’s residents deserve clarity on how their tax-funded resources are being spent, especially when the city’s basic municipal services require substantial improvement.

Only couple of days ago, Mayor Wahab had come out in the open in the ongoing tussle between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-governed Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Jamaat-i-Islami-led town municipal corporations (TMCs), accusing the opposition party of receiving a staggering sum of Rs14 billion from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for road-digging permissions, yet leaving the streets completely torn and dug-up, and hinting that he is now prepared to take action and demand full accountability.

His latest move is widely seen as reflection of the firm stance of the city administration to keep a check on the financial affairs of towns and the UCs. Many believe the initiative may also set a new precedent for routine and independent auditing of local government bodies, an aspect long criticised for being overlooked.

“If implemented effectively, such audits could help uncover systemic weaknesses, streamline expenditure, and restore public trust in municipal institutions. It should be seen as a corrective measure rather than a fresh flashpoint in Karachi’s already tense local governance landscape,” said an official.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2025