HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, which regulates more than half of the city’s municipal services, is technically without a mayor for the past few days after the Sindh local government department refused to extend leaves of Hyderabad Mayor Syed Tayyab Hussain.

Hyderabad’s Deputy Mayor Syed Suhail Mehmood Mashhadi — who has been officiating as the mayor since January after mayor proceeded on 10-days leave to the United States on Jan 10 — said in a social media message late Saturday night that a “conspiracy [by Sindh government] is hatched to dissolve elected house of HMC and administrator is appointed”.

Mr Hussain had returned to Pakistan in February but the leadership of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan had restrained him from assuming charge of the mayor, asking Mr Mashhadi to keep working as the ‘acting mayor’ of Hyderabad.

The MQM leadership was dissatisfied with Mr Tayyab’s performance in the city following his election as the Hyderabad mayor in August 2016 against the backdrop of the Aug 22 episode when party founder Altaf Hussain delivered an incendiary speech.

The MQM-P sent Mayor Tayyab Hussain on forced leave over six months ago

The Sindh LG department in a communication that reached the HMC in the last week of July had informed the municipal commissioner that “Syed Tayyab Hussain has already availed leave/extension upto 180 days” as prescribed under Rule 15 of the Sindh Councils Conduct of Business Rules 2016 so that leave cannot be extended”.

Following the letter, the Hyderabad Council on Aug 1 adopted a resolution seeking delegation of mayoral powers to the deputy mayor in the ‘absence (for any reason)’ of Mayor Hussain.

“The LG department has to issue a notification to delegate powers of mayor to the deputy mayor,” said a source in the HMC. “An administrator can only be appointed in the absence of both the mayor and deputy mayor,” he said.

The refusal to extend leave by the LG department seems to indicate that Mr Hussain has to assume office. And as he hasn’t assumed charge, the HMC is practically without an ‘acting mayor’.

Mr Mashhadi has been working as the acting mayor and exercising executive authority with regard to signing of bills, official transactions and communications.

Mr Hussain — who had taken over the charge of mayor on Sept 6, 2016 after his election on Aug 24, 2016 — is said to have submitted an application for another 90-day leave.

According to HMC sources, the mayor could avail 90-day leave if he is going abroad and ‘180 days’ if he is within Pakistan. “The mayor has availed only 10 days of ex-Pakistan leave and he can avail another 80 days if he proceeds abroad,” said the source.

The HMC is facing many challenges including the post-rain situation and fast approaching Eidul Azha. Post Eid situation involving slaughtering of sacrificial animals is always a huge task for HMC.

The HMC needs to get validation also for all official business, including payments allowed after July 5 onwards otherwise it may lead to some legal flaws.

Mr Mashhadi in his social media message said that Hyderabad received 188 millimetres of rain that caused urban flooding especially in low-lying areas. “We had been working in advance in fact but the situation got aggravated due to the power breakdown,” he said.

He lauded the services of MQM’s union committee chairmen, vice chairman and party cadre, who he said had worked in the field to deal with rain emergency and to drain out accumulated rainwater.

He said that according to reports another rain system was developing which could be more severe than the one Hyderabad faced recently.

About the LG department’s notification to refuse extension of leaves of Mr Hussain, he said that the Sindh government had issued a notification which was followed by a HMC Council resolution (for delegation of power of mayor to deputy mayor).

But, he said, the Sindh government had not yet issued a notification in the light of said resolution. He said that it could lead to a problem because the HMC was utilising fuel and machines to drain out rainwater.

“Besides, a conspiracy is being hatched to dissolve the elected house of the HMC [by appointing] an administrator,” he said. “People of Hyderabad, elected representatives will condemn and resist it.”

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2019