In 1933 the Karachi Municipal Committee was upgraded to the Karachi Municipal Corporation by the Karachi Municipal Act. The Karachi Municipal Corporation was turned into the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in 1976.
Zonal municipal committees were established in 1987. The zonal committees were merged again into the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. Five district municipal corporations were established in 1987. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation was abolished in 2000 and five district municipal corporations were merged into City District Karachi. The City District Karachi was divided into 18 town and 178 union councils. In 2011 the Sindh Government restored the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and five district municipal corporations.