Karachi’s would-be mayor to meet Zardari soon

Waseem Akhtar says he will discuss issue of transferring due powers to mayor with PPP co-chairman

Karachi

Waseem Akhtar, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s nominee for the slot of Karachi’s mayor, said on Monday that he would soon meet Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to discuss transferring due powers to his office after he had taken oath.

Besides, he added that he would also take up the issue with Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.

Akhtar is likely to take oath as the mayor in February next year.

“I will be facing major challenges in the coming year as Karachi’s garbage disposal and traffic job problems will have to be addressed,” he told The News.

“If the office of the mayor is not empowered, we will be forced to protest as a last resort and take the case before the voters who have given us the mandate.”

Akhtar said as the mayor, he would talk with each and every stakeholder, even the law enforcement agencies, for the betterment of Karachi.

“My top priority will be to rid the city of garbage and arrange cheap transportation for commuters,” he added.

“I am confident that with the MQM chief’s guidelines, I will be able to serve the city just like former mayor Mustafa Kamal did.”

Akhtar said the PPPP could not isolate the MQM as the former itself had to form local governments in other districts of the province and empower them.

“In the rural parts of Sindh, the people elected in the local government elections are common citizens, not politicians,” he noted.

“These people need to be given powers as empowerment at the grassroots level is the nursery of democracy.”

Akhtar said the MQM was a brick that could help build any wall and many leaders of other political parties had visited its headquarters, Nine-Zero, for its support.

He recalled that Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif had called Nine-Zero for the MQM’s support for the election of the Senate chairman.

Usurping rights

The nominated mayor said the PPP had given a statement that the Centre was usurping Sindh’s powers. Similarly, he added, the Sindh government had usurped the rights of Karachi’s citizens by not giving powers to its mayor.

When asked about the non-bailable warrants issued against him, Akhtar said he had been implicated in fake cases.

Akhtar said he would become the 19th mayor of Karachi. The first mayor of the city was Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta.

The nominated mayor of the city also lashed out at the K-Electric, pointing out that several complaints were pouring in at the Nine-Zero about excessive billing and unannounced power outages.

“This is serious issue and I will take it up with the Centre.”

Akhtar said Karachi city was a melting pot and it had a diversified population.

“It is the economic hub of the country but unfortunately almost no development work has taken place in the city for the last 10 years.”