Town Chairman's salary in Karachi revealed

KARACHI: In a recent episode of ARY’s podcast, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Munim Zafar discussed the financial realities of local government officials, which are not commonly known, including the monthly salary of a town chairman, ARY News reported.

Munim Zafar discussed the monthly salary of town chairmen. During the podcast discussion with host Ayaz Samoo, Munim Zafar revealed that Karachi’s town chairmen’s monthly salary is approximately PKR 50,000. He also discussed the challenges faced by Union Councils (UCs) in Karachi.

This revelation was a surprise for the listeners, as people have a general perception that government officials lead lavish lifestyles and own expensive cars.

Upon asking about the luxury cars which local representatives are seen in, Munim Zafar clarified that only town chairmen are provided official vehicles.

There are no such privileges given to UC chairmen and councillors, he emphasised.

The discussion then went to the financial limits of Union Councils. Munim Zafar, in response, mentioned regarding the town chairmen’s monthly salary, that until 2024, each UC received only PKR 500,000 under the Octroi Tax share.

With nine employees per UC, nearly PKR 450,000 to PKR 475,000 was consumed by salaries, leaving an insufficient PKR 25,000 for development work.

Munim Zafar during podcast discussion with Ayaz Samoo, credited Jamaat-e-Islami for helping to increase the Octroi Tax share, which went up from PKR 500,000 to PKR 1.2 million. He explained that this change allows local council leaders to make important improvements, like putting in street lights and fixing broken sewer covers.

The podcast gave a unique look into how local government works in Karachi and the financial challenges it faces. It showed the gap between what the public expects and what the administration can actually deliver.

Earlier, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) announced the salary deduction from public and semi-government employees to support people of the flood-affected region.