Waseem Akhtar takes oath as new Karachi mayor

KARACHI: Waseem Akhtar was sworn in as the new mayor of Karachi on Tuesday, after PTI's Faisal Vawda's petition to halt his swearing-in ceremony was rejected by the Sindh High Court. 

Waseem Akhtar took the oath of the mayor of Karachi while Dr Arshad Vohra was also sworn in as the deputy mayor of Karachi. Both men took their oaths, which were read out to them by Returning Officer Sami Siddiqui at Gulshan-e-Jinnah. 

Among those in attendance to watch the new mayor take his oath of office, were families of both Waseem Akhtar and Dr Vohra as well as foreign diplomats and MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar and Administrator Karachi.

Waseem Akhtar was brought to the venue from prison in an armoured vehicle.  After taking oath, he was also presented with the symbolic key of Karachi. Addressing the audience, Waseem Akhtar chanted slogans in favour of all multiple party chiefs in Pakistan, by stating "Long live Imran, long live Bhutto and long live Muttahida".

He said that in order to make Karachi progressive and developed, he would need the cooperation of any and every political entity in Pakistan. Akhtar said that he would solve the issues of Karachi and provide Karachiites relief.

"If Karachi progresses, the whole of Sindh will progress," he said. "I appeal to Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto to work together for the betterment of Karachi," he said.

Waseem Akhtar said that now, after taking oath and assuming the mantle of mayor of Karachi, he was no longer a political person. He said that everyone must put aside past differences and move forward together.

"Sindh earns the most revenue for the whole country," said Waseem Akhtar. "We will make this a developed country," he said. 

Waseem Akhtar was all praises for Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and said that he had come forth as an energetic and dynamic, young chief minister. He expressed the hope that he would be soon freed from jail so that he could serve the people of Karachi.