Malir District

Malir District
ضلع ملیر
District of Sindh
Top: Chaukhandi tombs
Bottom: Kirthar National Park
Official seal of Malir District
Seal
Map of Malir District
Map of Malir District
Country Pakistan
Province Sindh
DivisionKarachi
HeadquartersDC Malir
PrecededDistrict Karachi East (1972-1996)
Established1996 (1996)
Abolished2001 (2001)
Restored11 July 2011 (11 July 2011)
AdministrationDMC Malir[1]
Administrative Subdivisions/Tehsils06
Government
[2]
 • TypeDistrict Administration
 • BodyGovernment of Karachi
 • Deputy CommissionerCapt (Rtd) Muhammad Saeed Laghari, PAS
 • National Assembly Seats (2024)Total 3
  •   PPP (3)
  •   MQM-P (0)
  •   PTI (0)
  •   PML(N) (0)
NA-229 Karachi Malir-I
NA-230 Karachi Malir-II
NA-231 Karachi Malir-III
 • Provincial Assembly Seats (2024)Total 6
  •   PPP (6)
  •   MQM-P (0)
  •   PTI (0)
  •   PML(N) (0)
PS-84 Karachi Malir-I
PS-85 Karachi Malir-II
PS-86 Karachi Malir-III
PS-87 Karachi Malir-IV
PS-88 Karachi Malir-V
PS-89 Karachi Malir-VI
Area
 • District of Sindh
2,160 km2 (830 sq mi)
Elevation
11 m (36 ft)
Population
 (2023)[3]
 • District of Sindh
2,419,736
 • Density1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,155,058
 • Rural
1,264,678
DemonymKarachiite
Literacy
[4]
 • Literacy rate
  • Total:
    63.14%
  • Male:
    67.74%
  • Female:
    57.84%
Time zoneUTC+05:00 (PKT)
 • Summer (DST)DST is not observed
ZIP Code
75050
NWD (area) code021
ISO 3166 codePK-SD
CNIC Code of Malir District42501-XXXXXXX-X
Websitedcmalir.sindh.gov.pk

Malir District (Urdu: ضلع ملير) is an administrative district of Karachi Division in Sindh, Pakistan created in 1996 by bifurcation of District Karachi East. According to the 2023 Pakistani census, District Malir had a population of 2,419,736 (2.4 million).

History

Districts of Karachi Division

Malir is a Sindhi word which means "greenery".[5] Before the independence of Pakistan, there were small villages of Sindhi and Kalmati Baloch in Gadap Town and Malir Town of modern Karachi. Now both towns have developed as the suburbs of the city because of the urban sprawl.[6]

Countryside

Malir has been regarded in history as the countryside of Karachi City due to its open atmosphere and lush green farms, but now these are no more.[7]

Agriculture land

Malir was once famous for its fruit and vegetable farms; but, now due to severe scarcity of groundwater, these farmlands are being converted into residential areas, thus increasing urbanization and environmental degradation. The Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE) has been concerned about drought and desertification in Malir district and has launched a campaign against illegal sand and gravel mining in the dry river beds of the Malir and its tributaries. Sand and gravel mining cause lowering of ground water, as rainwater cannot percolate in the aquifer. SCOPE is developing rainwater reservoirs in drought affected rural areas.[8]

Politics

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has historically dominated elections in Malir District, winning all National Assembly and Provincial Assembly seats in recent elections.[9][10]

PPP’s popularity in Malir attributed to demographics and its historical development projects. The district has a large Sindhi- and Balochi-speaking population in rural and semi-urban areas, who traditionally support PPP.[11]

In the 1970s, under the leadership of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, several landmark industrial projects were initiated in the Bin Qasim subdivision of Malir District:

  • Port Qasim – The foundation stone was laid in 1973 by Bhutto to create Pakistan’s second deep-water port.[12]
  • Pakistan Steel Mills – Conceived and built during Bhutto’s tenure, located near Port Qasim, it became Pakistan’s first integrated steel plant and one of the largest industrial complexes in the country.[13]
  • Pakistan Machine Tool Factory (PMTF) – Established in 1968 in Karachi and expanded under Bhutto, it provided a machinery base for Pakistan’s industrialization and is situated near the Bin Qasim industrial area.[14]

These industrial projects brought employment and infrastructure to Malir, reinforcing PPP’s political base and long-term popularity in the district.

Administrative status

Malir District was established in 1996.

Malir District was abolished in 2000 and divided into three towns namely:

  • Gadap Town,
  • Malir Town
  • and Bin Qasim Town.

On 11 July 2011, Sindh Government restored again Malir District.[15]

In 2022, a/c to Local Election Act -2022 (amended), Malir District was divided into three "Town Municipal Corporation"[16] namely:

  • Gadap Town
  • Malir Town
  • Ibrahim Hyderi Town

Headed by the TMC Chairman.

Town Municipal Corporations (TMC's) and Union Councils (UC's)

Following is the list of towns in Malir District.[17]

Gadap Town[18]
Union Council
U.C. 1 Gadap
U.C. 2 Gaghar
U.C. 3 Pipri
U.C. 4 Gulshan-e-Hadeed
U.C. 5 Steel Town
U.C. 6 Saleh Muhammad Goth
U.C. 7 Murad Memon Goth
U.C. 8 Darsano Chana
U.C. 9 Shah Mureed
Malir Town[19]
Union Council
U.C. 1 Gharibabad
U.C. 2 Dawood Goth
U.C. 3 Jafar-e-Tayyar
U.C. 4 Khuldabad
U.C. 5 Qaidabad
U.C. 6 Dawood Chowrangi
U.C. 7 Future Colony
U.C. 8 Sharafi Goth
U.C. 9 Bakhtawar Goth
U.C. 10 Bhittaiabad
Ibrahim Hyderi Town[20]
Union Council
U.C. 1 Chaukhandi
U.C. 2 Shah Latif Town
U.C. 3 Cattle Colony
U.C. 4 Majeed Colony
U.C. 5 Muzzaffarabad
U.C. 6 Muslimabad
U.C. 7 Sher Pao colony
U.C. 8 Ibrahim Hyderi
U.C. 9 Chashma
U.C. 10 Rehri Goth
U.C. 11 Ali Akber Shah

Administrative Sub-divisions (Tehsils)

Malir district is divided into Six subdivisions (tehsils).

Subdivision (Tehsil)[4] Area
(km2)		 Population
(2023)		 Density
(ppl/km2)
Airport Subdivision 41 254,370 6,204.15
Bin Qasim Subdivision 447 322,915 722.40
Gadap Subdivision 1,104 100,351 90.90
Ibrahim Hyderi Subdivision 250 200,000 800
Murad Memon Subdivision 195 376,987 1,933.27
Shah Mureed Subdivision 276 35,987 130.39
2,160 2,432,248 1,126.04

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1961...—    
1972...—    
1981...—    
1998914,765—    
20171,924,346+3.99%
20232,432,248+3.98%
Sources:[21]

As of the 2023 census, Malir district has 421,426 households and a population of 2,432,248.[22] The district has a sex ratio of 112.70 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 63.14%: 67.74% for males and 57.84% for females.[3][23] 624,172 (25.8% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.[24] 1,166,340 (47.95%) live in urban areas.[3]

Religions in Malir district (2023)[25]
Religion Percent
Islam
 
 96.45%
Christianity
 
 1.82%
Hinduism
 
 1.66%
Other or not stated
 
 0.07%

The majority religion is Islam, with 96.45% of the population. Christianity is practiced by 1.82% and Hinduism (including Scheduled Castes) is practiced by 1.66% of the population.[25]

Languages

Languages of Malir district (2023)[26]
  1. Sindhi (35.0%)
  2. Pashto (17.7%)
  3. Urdu (15.8%)
  4. Punjabi (9.94%)
  5. Balochi (7.88%)
  6. Hindko (5.69%)
  7. Saraiki (3.22%)
  8. Others (4.79%)

At the time of the 2023 census, 34.98% of the population spoke Sindhi, 17.71% Pashto, 15.79% Urdu, 9.94% Punjabi, 7.88% Balochi, 5.69% Hindko and 3.22% Saraiki as their first language.[26]

See also

  • Malir Development Authority
  • Malir (disambiguation)
  • Malir Expressway Project
  • Malir River
  • Malir Cantonment
  • Malir Cantonment railway station

References

  1. ^ "Contact Us". dcmalir.sindh.gov.pk. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Core Team". dcmalir.sindh.gov.pk. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 1" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  4. ^ a b "AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN POPULATION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE, CENSUS-2023, SINDH" (PDF). pbs.gov.pk. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  5. ^ Angaria, Waqas Alam (14 February 2025). "Ecology vs. development in Karachi: Interview with photographer Salman Baloch". Mongabay Environmental News. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  6. ^ "From Zardaris to Makranis: How the Baloch came to Sindh". The Express Tribune. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Save the Green Belt of Malir". The Nation. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  8. ^ "SCOPE - Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment". www.scope.org.pk. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Fresh delimitations confirm PPP dominance in Malir". Dawn. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  10. ^ "Sequence of Karachi's constituencies changed after fresh ECP delimitation". The Express Tribune. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  11. ^ "The rural strength of PPP in Karachi". The News International. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – Achievements in Infrastructure". Research Centre for Conservation of Bhutto Heritage. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  13. ^ "A look back at history of Pakistan Steel Mills". The Express Tribune. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  14. ^ "Pakistan Machine Tool Factory". Wikipedia. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  15. ^ Five districts of Karachi restored, notification issued Geo TV News website, Published 11 July 2011, Retrieved 7 March 2022
  16. ^ "Karachi to have 26 towns, 233 union bodies under Sindh LG Act". Business Recorder (newspaper). 9 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  17. ^ Tahir Siddiqui (8 January 2022). "Division of Karachi into 26 towns, 233 UCs notified (by the government)". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Union Councils List".
  19. ^ "Union Councils List".
  20. ^ "Union Councils List".
  21. ^ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  22. ^ "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 20" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  23. ^ "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 12" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  24. ^ "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 5" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  25. ^ a b "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 9" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  26. ^ a b "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 11" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

25°05′46″N 67°11′14″E / 25.0960°N 67.1871°E / 25.0960; 67.1871

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