KARACHI: City Council eulogises Afghani’s services
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Nov 4: The city fathers at a meeting on Saturday paid rich tributes to Abdul Sattar Afghani, a former mayor of Karachi, for his invaluable services to Karachi city.
Describing him as ‘a symbol of high human values’, they said he served the people of Karachi without considering their political affiliation and social distinction.
Mr Afghani, who was elected as MNA in the 2002 general elections, served as mayor of Karachi twice, in 1979 and 1987.
As a mark of respect, the normal business of the City Council was suspended on Saturday as Convenor of the house Ms Nasreen Jalil announced the demise of Mr Afghani, and said that the council will now hold a condolence meeting for him. The news of his death cast a deep gloom over the house.
Ms Jalil told the house the former mayor had been seriously ill for quite some time and she had visited him in a hospital to inquire about his health. He was put on dialysis as his kidneys had stopped functioning, as his wife told her.
Mrs Afghani, she said, informed her that despite his serious illness, her husband had continued observing fasts during Ramazan.
The City Council unanimously adopted two resolutions, one moved by the treasury benches and the other by the opposition benches, to pay tributes and homage to the former mayor.The treasury benches eulogised the services he had rendered to the city during his tenures.
The opposition benches termed his death ‘a great loss to Karachi’. Born in a poor locality of Lyari, Mr Afghani was equally popular in all classes and segments of society because of his selfless and tremendous services.
They pointed out that it was during his tenure the water problem in Karachi was resolved and the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board had been separated from KDA to be merged with the (now defunct) KMC. He had remained a member of the KDA’s governing body and chairman of the KWSB.
They made especial mention of Mr Afghani’s relentless efforts towards the uplift of katchi abadis across the city, as well as development work that included pedestrian bridge and park projects.
In their speeches, members from both side of the divide acknowledged that Mr Afghani was a man of integrity and high human values. He was an asset for Karachi city as he devoted his entire life for the uplift and development of the city and for the good of common man.
They noted that despite holding the prestigious office of the mayor of one of the world’s biggest cities, Mr Afghani led a simple life and preferred to live in his small house built on an 80-square-yards plot.
They said that his services to the city would always be remembered.
Those who spoke on the occasion included Asif Siddiqui and Masood Mehmood from the treasury benches, and Saeed Ghani, Rafique Ahmed, Mir Ismail Baloch, Anwar Baloch and Ibrahim Mughal from the opposition side.
Later, fateha was offered for the departed soul and the session was adjourned till Tuesday.
Ms Jalil announced that the council’s secretariat and its affiliated offices would remain closed on Monday as mark of respect for Abdul Sattar Afghani.
