KARACHI: The City Council adjourned its session of Monday, scheduled mainly for taking up the issue of Municipal Utility Charges and Taxes (MUCT) after the Sindh High Court last month vacated the stay order on its collection, till Tuesday (today) after it was marred by a ruckus between the opposition and treasury members.

Though the session was supposed to be adjourned before taking up any formal matter because of the death of Shahabuddin, chairman of UC-7 of Liaquatabad Town and one of the City Council members, as a gesture of respect and mourning, it took a while to call off because of a protest from both sides of the benches against each other.

In his opening remarks while chairing the session, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced to adjourn the session as a tradition in respect to the late member of the house.

As he allowed condolence resolutions from both sides of the benches to offer fateha for the deceased member and seven security officials, including an army captain, martyred in Lakki Marwat, the session gradually descended into chaos.

Mayor adjourns session till today

The house also passed the same resolutions over the death of family members of a few City Council members and for the victims of street crimes in the city.

The situation turned a little tense when leader of the opposition in the City Council, Saifuddin Advocate, in reference to the resolution for the victims of street crimes in the city focused mainly on the “alarming situation of crimes in Karachi”.

As he mentioned the “growing incidents of street crimes claiming the lives of Karachi youngsters”, Mayor Wahab responded with the “achievements of the PPP government in Karachi”, highlighting mainly the health sector offering costly treatment free of cost.

The opposition members stood up, yelled at the treasury benches and started chanting slogans. Though the mayor was requesting them to let the house run in a congenial manner, but in vain.

Soon the house turned into a fish market as in a response reaction, the members of the treasury benches also came up with the tit for tat with the same energy and force.

The mayor, while adjourning the session till Tuesday (today), expressed his displeasure over the opposition’s conduct and called it undemocratic.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2024