KARACHI: Calling his opponents promoters of “politics of hatred and division”, Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Sunday vowed to spend Rs30 billion this year through the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for the development and improvement of the city’s infrastructure.

He said he did not believe in holding daily press conferences based on “prejudice” but in “responding through practical work”.

He added that so far, Rs14bn had been provided to the towns, Rs27bn had been received under the OZT (octroi and zila tax) and another Rs6bn had been secured through the Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (Click) project.

The grant for each union committee, previously Rs500,000, had been increased to Rs1.2 million, while towns currently had Rs700m available under road-cutting funds, which he urged should be utilised for public welfare.

The mayor was speaking after inaugurating and inspecting the construction and rehabilitation of Muhammad Shah Street and other development works in the old city area.

He said Rs100m had been allocated to address the area’s basic issues. “Pure concrete blocks were installed in narrow lanes, the sewerage system was modernised, and staff remained engaged with the traders’ community throughout the development process,” he said.

Mr Wahab said the federal government “would never want the areas under its control to fall under the mayor’s jurisdiction”, but despite this, his administration was attempting to resolve issues through institutional cooperation.

“The city is one, so its system should also be one,” he remarked, adding that powers should be unified rather than divided.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2025