Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Karachi Exposes Pakistan’s Deepening Governance and Liveability Crisis
Karachi is Pakistan’s biggest city and an important center for its economy.
Many people there face traffic, poor roads, unreliable services and waste problems.
Several different government bodies share responsibility for the city.
Because responsibility is divided, it can be hard to know who should fix problems.
Local institutions also do not have enough money or authority, according to the report.
The report says citizens have little influence over decisions affecting their daily lives.
It argues that giving more power to capable local institutions could help.
Karachi was ranked among the world’s least liveable cities, placing 170th out of 173 cities.
A report describes Karachi as a clear manifestation of Pakistan’s wider governance deficit.
Fragmented authority, overlapping jurisdictions and weak municipal institutions hinder effective city administration.
Responsibilities are divided among provincial departments, municipal bodies, cantonments and development authorities.
The report calls for better-designed decentralisation, financial autonomy and stronger institutional accountability.
Karachi ranked 170th of 173 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2026 Global Liveability Index.
- Who
- Residents of Karachi, provincial and local government institutions, and other authorities responsible for the city.
- What
- A report identified Karachi as a major example of Pakistan’s governance problems and highlighted its poor urban liveability ranking.
- When
- The report was discussed in a Friday Times article; Karachi’s liveability ranking was reported last month for the 2026 index.
- Where
- Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
- Why
- Fragmented authority, overlapping jurisdictions, weak municipal institutions and limited local financial and administrative power have weakened accountability and public services.
- City
- Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and economic engine
- Governance problems
- Fragmented authority, overlapping jurisdictions and weak municipal institutions
- Liveability ranking
- 170th out of 173 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2026 index
- Overall score
- 43 out of 100
- Stability score
- 20
- Education score
- 75
- Infrastructure score
- 52