Lyari Town

Lyari Town
لیاری ٹاؤن
Constituent Town of Karachi
Official seal of Lyari Town
Seal
Lyari Town Map
Lyari Town Map
Town ChairmanKhalil Hoath
DistrictDistrict Karachi South
DivisionKarachi Division
Province Sindh
Country Pakistan
Established1972; 54 years ago (1972)
Town status14 August 2001; 25 years ago (14 August 2001)
Disbanded11 July 2011; 15 years ago (11 July 2011)
Part of District Karachi West(1972-2015)
Union Committees in Town Municipal Corporation
13
  • Agra Taj Colony
    Bihar Colony
    Gulistan Colony
    Singo Lane
    Nawa Lane
    Kalakot-Rexer Lane
    Ghulam Muhammad Lane-Rangiwara
    Kalri-Shah Baig Lane
    Daryabad-Hingorabad
    Khada Memon Society
    Nayabad
    Baghdadi
    Jinnahabad-Ghulam Shah Lane
Government
 • TypeGovernment of Karachi
 • ConstituencyNA-239 Karachi South-I
 • National Assembly MemberNabil Gabol
Area
 • Total
6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)
Elevation
2 m (6.6 ft)
Highest elevation
19 m (62 ft)
Lowest elevation
−2 m (−6.6 ft)
Population
 (2023 Pakistani census)
 • Total
949,878
 • Density158,313/km2 (410,030/sq mi)
DemonymKarachiite
Time zoneUTC+05:00 (PKT)
 • Summer (DST)DST is not observed
ZIP Code
75660
NWD (area) code021
ISO 3166 codePK-SD

Lyari Town (Sindhi: لیاري ٽائون, Urdu: لیاری ٹاؤن ) is named after the historic locality of Lyari. Lyari Town was the smallest borough (called "town" in Karachi) by area, but also the most densely populated. Lyari Town was formed in 2001 as part of the Local Government Ordinance 2001, and was subdivided into 11 union councils. The town system was disbanded in 2011, and Lyari Town was re-organized and merged into Karachi South in 2015 before it was part of District Karachi West. According to the 2023 Pakistani census, the population of Lyari Subdivision is 949,878.

Town Municipal Committee

The Town Municipal Committee Lyari (TMC Lyari) is a local government body in Karachi, Pakistan, responsible for providing municipal services within its designated jurisdiction. It is one of the 26 Town Municipal Corporations established in Karachi under the Sindh Local Government Act, 2021.

The creation of the Town Municipal Committee Lyari is part of a restructuring of Karachi's local government system. The Sindh government replaced the previous seven District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) with 26 towns, each with its own municipal committee. Lyari Town is one of two towns located within the Karachi South District, alongside Saddar Town.

Location

It was bordered by the boroughs of SITE Town to the north across the Lyari River, Jamshed Town and Saddar Town to the east, and Kemari Town to the west across Karachi Harbour.

History

2000

The federal government introduced local government reforms in the year 2000, which eliminated the previous "third tier of government" (administrative divisions) and replaced it with the fourth tier (districts). The effect in Karachi was the dissolution of the former Karachi Division, and the merging of its five districts to form a new Karachi City-District with eighteen autonomous constituent towns including Lyari Town.

2011

In 2011, the system was disbanded but remained in place for bureaucratic administration until 2015, when the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation system was reintroduced.

2015

In 2015, Lyari Town was re-organized as part of Karachi South district.

Lyari is depicted in the film Dhurandhar and its sequel, which draws inspiration from the Lyari gang wars and the area's history of political and criminal violence. The film uses Lyari as a backdrop for parts of its story, reflecting the influence of local gangs and the broader conflict that shaped the neighborhood during the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Demographics

There are several ethnic groups in Lyari sub-division. Total population of Lyari sub-division is 949,878 as of 2023 Pakistani census.

The ethnic group in lyari town includes Balochs, Sindhis, Punjabis, Pashtuns, Muhajirs, Saraikis, Kashmiris, Hindkowans, Memons, Bohra, Kutchis and many more.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Lyari Town". City Government of Karachi website. Archived from the original on 19 February 2006. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. ↑ Latif Baloch (2 August 2005). "KARACHI: Lyari: Karachi's oldest settlement". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  3. ↑ Sarwat Viqar (2014). "Constructing Lyari: place, governance and identity in a Karachi neighbourhood". South Asian History and Culture. 5 (3): 365–383. doi:10.1080/19472498.2014.905335.
  4. ↑ Yamini Narayanan (19 November 2015), Religion and Urbanism: Reconceptualising Sustainable Cities for South Asia, Routledge, p. 165, ISBN 978-1-317-75542-5
  5. ↑ Maher, Mahim (20 July 2022). "All of Karachi's local government UC maps in one place". Aaj English TV. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  6. ↑ Rizwan (18 June 2023). "PPP to rule TMCs of rural, underprivileged areas while JI, PTI to govern most urban TMCs". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  7. ↑ Maher, Mahim (20 July 2022). "All of Karachi's local government UC maps in one place". Aaj English TV. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  8. ↑ Rizwan (18 June 2023). "PPP to rule TMCs of rural, underprivileged areas while JI, PTI to govern most urban TMCs". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "Location Map of Lyari Town". Karachi Municipal Corporation, Government of Sindh website. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  10. ↑ Mukul, Sushim (10 December 2025). "Untold story of Dhurandhar's Lyari: How Mother of Karachi nursed ferocious gangs". India Today. Retrieved 13 April 2026.