Karachi Mayor threatens to pull out of coalition with PTI govt

KARACHI: A visibly irate Mayor Wasim Akhtar piqued over personal remarks by Federal Minister Faisal Vawda threatened that his party would part ways with coalition partner, PTI's federal government if the federal minister is not reigned in. The PTI and MQM are coalition parties in the federal government.

The mayor said they are at good terms with Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Zaidi and the Governor Sindh Imran Ismail are working in the interest and benefit of the city. The statement by Federal Minister Faisal Vawda is nothing but tactics for cheap publicity. Perhaps Vawda does not like the PTI-MQM bonhomie or he might be reacting due to some PTI's internal political issues, he said.

Vawda, Federal Minister for Water Resources, in Friday's press talk had dubbed Wasim Akhtar as corrupt. He made the remark after his meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. The mayor, who is a senior MQM leader, said if a federal minister indulges in cheap publicity how could their coalition work. On one hand, he said we are in a coalition. The MQM voted for PTI’s prime minister but if that party cannot control its federal minister, then we will think of something," he said. “We will consider separating from you [PTI] if you cannot control what your federal minister says," Akhtar charged terming Vawda "an unguided missile and immature who doesn’t understand politics.” He said it looks as if Vawda’s party has sidelined him.

The mayor, Waseem Akhtar, has been under intense criticism following a disastrous management of city's sewerage system and storm water drains after a recent monsoon spell. The mayor held Sindh Chief Minister Shah responsible for the city’s plight, while Pakistan Peoples Party Information Minister Saeed Ghani termed the MQM-P as the ‘B-team’ of the PTI. The Pak Sarzameen Party Chief Mustafa Kamal had also demanded putting Waseem Akhtar’s name on the Exit Control List.