• Urges Mustafa Kamal and Monem Zafar to work together
• Announces cleaning of drains from 20th
• Asks Centre to give metropolis at least Rs100bn in form of development package

KARACHI: Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab of the Pakistan Peoples Party on Tuesday invited the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) to set aside political differences and work collectively for Karachi’s progress.

“Let’s work together — the people of Karachi deserve that much. I invite Mustafa Kamal [of MQM-P] and Monem Zafar [of JI] to sit with me and talk and plan about the development of Karachi,” he said during a press conference held here at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) head office to share the performance of civic bodies during the three days of Eidul Azha.

“We should not tarnish the image of our city only for our political interests. I am always against politics of divisions and strongly believe that sustainable progress in Karachi hinges on unity,” he said.

Taking a swipe at opposition parties, he said that one party did “china-cutting in the past while another is busy with road-cutting today”.

He urged all parties and government departments to focus on delivery, not blame game, stating that Karachi’s future depended on coordinated and sincere efforts across the board.

The mayor also announced drain cleaning operations from June 20. He said the operation would continue for three months with tenders already issued and funds allocated by the Sindh government.

The mayor again demanded a Rs100 billion development grant for Karachi in the federal budget.

He said Karachi is the financial and commercial hub of Pakistan and urged the federal government and political parties, particularly the MQM-P and JI, to support this demand in parliament.

“If Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif takes this step, we will welcome it with a joint press conference,” he said, urging all stakeholders to think beyond party lines.

“A total of Rs37 billion worth of development proposals have also been submitted for inclusion in the provincial budget,” he said.

‘146,801 tonnes of offal disposed of’

The mayor also lauded the city’s “successful” Eidul Azha sanitation operation, announcing that a total of 146,801 tonnes of offal and garbage had been transported to landfill sites in just three days.

He said the extensive clean-up effort was carried out between June 7 and 9.

Backed by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), he said that 95,164 tonnes of animal waste and 51,637 tonnes of garbage had been collected from across the city.

“The waste was transported to three designated landfill sites — Jam Chakro, Gond Pass, and Sharafi Goth GTS — after being gathered at 96 collection points established in all 25 towns and seven districts of Karachi,” he added.

He commended the “tireless work” of municipal staff, stating that the mayor, deputy mayor, elected representatives, and the SSWMB managing director remained present in the field throughout the Eid holidays.

“Despite the extreme heat, the teams performed remarkably, and Karachi saw a cleaner Eid this year,” claimed Mayor Wahab.

‘Roads washed with rose water’

To maintain sanitation standards, limestone powder was sprinkled across various neighbourhoods, fumigation was conducted, and major roads were “washed with rose water”, he said claiming that complaint address mechanisms were efficient, as the city’s 24-hour helpline received 3,699 complaints — 97.4 per cent of which were resolved.

Accompanied by Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, MD SSWMB Tariq Nizamani, Mr Wahab said that action against illegal “charbi mafia” led to 144 FIRs and 348 arrests were made.

The mayor said he would have no objection if the federal and provincial governments appoint representatives to monitor the process.

He said complaints from Jehangir Road and Tariq Road were promptly addressed. Compared to last year’s poor conditions at Jamaluddin Afghani Road, this time the Central District showed improvement, though some areas in New Karachi faced issues, which were dealt with., he added.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2025