Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab has directed relevant municipal departments to take immediate action on complaints received from citizens during the city’s first E-Kachehri, an online public hearing designed to provide residents with direct access to the mayor over municipal issues. The first session was held on Monday, September 28, allowing citizens from different parts of Karachi to raise concerns about cleanliness, damaged roads, water supply, sewerage and other civic matters. During the session, which continued from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., the mayor instructed concerned officials to address the complaints without unnecessary delay and provide relief to citizens. The initiative provides a digital channel through which residents can communicate municipal problems directly to the city administration rather than relying solely on conventional complaint mechanisms.
The complaints raised during the E-Kachehri covered several areas of municipal service delivery across Karachi. Residents reported problems involving sanitation and cleanliness in different localities, damaged roads requiring repairs, interruptions or issues related to water supply, sewerage concerns and other matters falling within the responsibilities of municipal departments. Following the complaints, Mayor Wahab issued instructions to the relevant officials and departments to ensure that action was taken promptly. He also directed officials to keep citizens informed about progress made on their complaints. The instruction links the complaint process with follow-up communication, requiring departments not only to respond to reported problems but also to provide updates to the residents who raised them.
The E-Kachehri is part of an effort to provide citizens with a direct and technology-enabled channel for communicating with Karachi’s municipal administration. Citizens registered complaints for the session through 021-99216727, while 021-99215125 and 021-99215126 were also used during the online public hearing. According to the mayor, issues that could be addressed immediately were referred to the relevant officials for action, while efforts would be made to resolve other urgent matters within 24 hours. The process also gives municipal departments an opportunity to receive complaints from different parts of the city during a single session and identify recurring problems involving basic civic services.
Mayor Wahab said the purpose of the E-Kachehri was to provide citizens with direct access for resolving municipal problems and ensuring timely relief. The instructions issued during the first session require concerned departments to act on complaints and communicate the progress of their responses to citizens. The initiative places digital communication at the centre of a public grievance mechanism focused on everyday municipal services. As the E-Kachehri continues, its effectiveness will depend on how complaints are followed up, how quickly departments address reported problems and whether residents receive timely updates on the status of their requests. The first session has established an online channel through which Karachi residents can raise civic concerns directly with the city’s mayor and relevant municipal authorities.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
