An opinion piece published on January 16, 2026, highlights how illegal parking operators in Karachi have effectively created an informal “parking mafia” that has undermined civic order and public trust. According to the article, the practice persists because of daily cash incentives for collectors, weak legal prosecution, lack of political will, fragmented authority among city agencies (including the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, police, and cantonment boards), and the absence of digital parking systems. The resulting consequences include harassment and extortion of motorists, increased traffic congestion, damage to vehicles, and normalization of petty corruption. Though media exposés, public interest petitions, and temporary crackdowns have occurred, there has been no sustained structural reform. The writer suggests several reforms, such as introducing zero-tolerance enforcement, establishing digital parking zones with QR payment options, creating a unified parking authority, and prosecuting coordinators of the illegal networks rather than individual collectors. The article concludes that when citizens cannot park for even a short period without paying an unlawful fee, the state has failed in its basic civic duty.
Karachi Parking Mafia: Causes, Effects, and Reform Proposals
