Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced a ban on transfers, postings, and new recruitments within local councils to enhance their efficiency and transparency. The decision, aimed at stabilizing the workforce and improving service delivery, was made during a meeting at CM House attended by key government officials.
According to Chief Minister Sindh, “to improve transparency, working and efficiency of local councils has decided to impose a ban on transfer/postings of Council Employees and new hiring in Local Councils with immediate effect.” The meeting included Minister of Local Government Saeed Ghani, Minister P and D Nasir Shah, and other high-ranking officials. The Chief Minister instructed that details of local council employee transfers and postings over the past five years be provided within 15 days for review.
In his directives, Syed Murad Ali Shah stressed the prohibition of inter-council employee transfers and outlined a new measure for local councils to outsource basic municipal functions due to staff shortages. He also mandated the implementation of the SAP system to manage salary payments, aiming to eliminate ghost employees and ensure that salaries are disbursed only to active staff.
Minister of Local Government Saeed Ghani provided insights into the structure of local bodies, which include 1889 entities such as one Metropolitan Corporation, five District Municipal Corporations, and numerous smaller municipal units. The discussions also touched on protecting salaries during periods without postings, thus securing financial stability for the employees.
Efforts to reform the local government system were discussed, with a focus on developing a transparent mechanism for employee transfers, postings, and promotions. The Chief Minister also called for proposals to increase the local bodies’ budgets and grants, reflecting ongoing dialogues with local body representatives across divisional headquarters.
The meeting concluded with the Chief Minister directing the preparation of proposals for the constitution of the Provincial Finance Commission, a step toward further fiscal reforms in local governance.