• Treasury and opposition councillors fight over seating dispute
• Mayor Wahab claims JI ‘spoiled the atmosphere’
• Opposition leader blames PPP for ‘hooliganism’
• House passes 13 resolutions after JI’s walkout

KARACHI: A violent brawl erupted at the City Council session on Friday as members of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and opposition Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) clashed in a chaotic showdown with members trading blows and kicks, and even hurling chairs on each other.

The commotion started when some PPP members objected to the JI members for sitting on chairs placed ahead the seat of the Opposition Leader Advocate Saifuddin, insisting that the opposition members should not be allowed to sit in front of the opposition benches.

While Mayor Murtaza Wahab helplessly watched the ruckus, the PPP and JI members scuffled leading to fighting among members turning the City Council hall in to a battlefield. They kicked, punched and threw chairs at each other as many other members from both sides tried their best to calm down the situation but to no avail.

One of the JI members was dragged to the ground with volleys of jabs and kicks until other members, including Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf members, finally overpowered the fighting members of the two parties.

Later, the JI members stage a walkout.

The house passed 13 resolutions unanimously, including one that acknowledging Pakistan’s effective diplomacy in managing sensitive international situations and praising President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the military leadership for their leadership in preventing economic crisis and conflict escalation.

Later, the mayor adjourned the meeting indefinitely and said at a press conference that the atmosphere had been spoiled due to some Jamaat-i-Islami members.

In response, Opposition Leader Saifuddin Advocate said at a press conference that PPP members came with the intention of hooliganism.

At the outset of the proceedings, parliamentary leaders lauded the federal government and military leadership for playing a decisive role during the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Opposition Leader Advocate Saifuddin expressed serious concern over the situation in the Middle East, stating that the current conflict was against Muslims.

PPP parliamentary leader Karamullah Waqasi said that Pakistan played the role of a mediator at the global level and helped reduce tensions between major powers.

PML-N parliamentary leader Feroz Khan praised the Pakistani armed forces and Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying the country would always remain strong and stable.

PTI parliamentary leader Mubashir Hafizul Haque stated that the Pakistani nation was concerned about Iran, and internal issues should also be resolved through mutual understanding. He appreciated the positive actions of the armed forces and government.

Another resolution honoured the unanimous adoption of the 1973 Constitution under the leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, paying tribute to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and all pro-democracy leaders who sacrificed their lives for the constitution and democracy.

Other resolutions included approval for the purchase of 20 electric motorbikes for the Vigilance Squad; increased stipends for postgraduate trainees and house officers in KMC hospitals from July 2025; approval of development schemes under PC-I in District East, Central, and South; settlement of a civil petition and approval of development work at Bolton Market; restoration of Empress Market with new meat, grocery, and vegetable sections and relocation of mutton and beef sections; allocation of revenue from Elender Road property for a term deposit; hiring of M/s EA Consulting Pvt Ltd for technical support and project implementation; approval of special maintenance work worth over five million rupees for roads, footpaths, bridges, buildings, and zoo; post-facto approval of urgent financial and administrative actions under Section 80(1)(d) of the Sindh Local Government Act 2013; approval of medical health reimbursement and insurance policies for employees; approval of lab testing charges for hospitals; and renaming of the KMC Media Management Department to Media Public Relations and Publications.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2026