KARACHI: The Mutta­hi­­da Qaumi Movement’s nominee for Karachi mayor’s office appealed to Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday to order the Sindh government to take immediate measures to save Karachi from a disaster-like situation during the coming monsoon rains.

“No one can dare refuse your orders... your grandfather and mother also belon­ged to Karachi, I request you to please issue special inst­ruc­tions to the Sindh chief minister for effective cleanliness and sanitation in Karachi,” Mr Akhtar urged the PPP chief while addressing a press conference held in Gulberg near the KBR Nullah.

Accompanied by elected local bodies representatives, Mr Akhtar was full of praise for former Karachi commissioner Asif Hyder Shah and said that the provincial government had removed him although he was working for the betterment of the city.

He said that the Met Office had forecast heavy rains in Karachi but the Sindh government had turned a blind eye to all warnings.

He said the city’s storm drains had not been cleaned and it was apprehended that this year monsoon rains would wreak havoc in the metropolis.

He asked the chief minister and the local government minister to appoint honest and efficient officials and take immediate measures, warning that otherwise the city would drown in the rains.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2016