KARACHI: Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab shared his ambitious vision for the future of Karachi, focusing on sustainable development, techn­o­logical innovation and inclusive urban growth.

Speaking at a session titled ‘Urban dialogue: the Karachi Katcheri’ at the 16th Karachi Literature Festival, the Karachi mayor highlighted the city’s long-standing challenges and outlined transformative solutions to ensure a better quality of life for all its residents.

“The way and manner the population of Karachi has increased, that surge has not been complemented in the same manner with respect to the facilities that should have been available,” he said.

“Our vision is to address the water issues. I suggest we adopt technology to recycle and reuse water for industrial use and protect marine life, while also contributing to save the Arabian Sea,” he said.

As part of his long-term plan to improve Karachi’s urban landscape, the mayor highlighted the need to eradicate slums from the city, citing successful examples from Jakarta’s urban planning model.

He announced future projects focused on building vertical structures to provide modern housing for those living in underdeveloped areas.

“Vertical structures will be developed to improve the living standard of people currently living in shabby conditions. The land will still belong to Karachi Metro­politan Corpor­ation, the maintenance of the building will come from the private sector, and the residents will get a respectable place to live,” he added.

Defending the public-private partnerships, he highlighted the KMC Nursing School Initiative — an innovative project providing free-of-cost education to 100 students under the KMC Scholarship Programme. These students, upon completion of their education, will have guaranteed jobs in one of the 14 hospitals operated by KMC, he said.

“This initiative is a step towards improving public healthcare while empowering youth through quality education and job security,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2025