KARACHI: Two opposition parties, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), have stepped up efforts to bring a no-confidence motion against Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, signalling a joint push to remove him from office.

A meeting between the PTI Sindh and JI Karachi leaders was held at Idara Noor-i-Haq on Tuesday, where both sides discussed finalising their strategy and numbers in the City Council.

The PTI delegation was led by its Sindh chapter president, Haleem Adil Sheikh, while JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar Khan and City Council Opposition Leader Saifuddin Advocate represented their party.

Leaders from both parties said they were in agreement on moving a no-confidence motion, calling the mayor’s election “controversial” and his performance “unsatisfactory.”

They alleged that the city’s condition had worsened during his tenure, with basic civic issues such as water shortages, sanitation problems and traffic mismanagement continuing to affect residents.

The participants also criticised what they descri­bed as poor governance in key municipal institutions, including the Karachi Metropolitan Corpora­­­­tion and other civic bodies.

Both PTI and JI leaders stressed that their move was aimed at improving governance in the city. They said Karachi’s problems had reached an alarming level and required urgent corrective measures. According to them, removing the current mayor was necessary to put the city back on the path of development.

During the meeting, the two sides also reviewed their positions in the City Council and discussed efforts to gain support from other political groups.

The leaders expressed satisfaction over ongoing contacts and said they were hopeful of securing the required numbers for the motion.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026