Karachi Metropolitan Museum to open at Denso Hall on March 23

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Sunday announced that the Karachi Metropolitan Museum would be opened at the historic Denso Hall building on March 23.

Wahab also announced the launch of the Karachi Medal that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) would award every August 14 to the heroes who render precious and exceptional services to the city. “Cash prizes and medals will also be given to those who make useful and informative documentaries on Karachi.”

He said that all the money earned by improving the tax recovery system of the KMC would be spent on the welfare of the residents in accordance with the decision of the elected representatives of the City Council.

He also said that the parking fee issue between the KMC and the town administration, and the anti-encroachment and land issues would be resolved in the light of the Sindh Local Government Act. A project is under way to build parking plazas at different locations to resolve the city’s traffic problems, he added.

Addressing a press conference at the Denso Hall, the mayor said Karachi is a historical city, so the KMC is working on the restoration and improvement of the city’s historical heritage, such as the Denso Hall, the Frere Hall, the Merewether Clock Tower, the Karachi Port Trust building and the KMC building.

He said that all these are great historical buildings. “This is the historical heritage of the city which unfortunately got hidden somewhere in the politics of bigotry and hate,” he lamented.

“We will tell our future generations what has been the historical background of this city, for which the establishment of the first Karachi Metropolitan Museum of Pakistan in the historical building of the Denso Hall built in 1886 was approved in the recent meeting of the City Council.”

He showed the historical records and documents of Karachi, saying that the city has records of everything, such as in what era the land registry system was introduced, “yet people spread propaganda”.

Wahab said they even have a record of when the first birth certificate in Karachi was issued. “We have also taken out the register of death certificates,” he added. He said the statues at the Frere Garden were once installed at someone’s house.

He also said Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah was allotted land in 1966. The KMC building was visited by the Queen of Great Britain, Yasir Arafat, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Shah Faisal and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he added.

“We will display all these details in our museum and educate our children about the historical events. Let us know. There is a lot in this city which is hidden from the people. The coming time will prove to be better.”

The mayor said on the occasion that on the last day of the year 2023 he wants to inform everyone about some decisions through the media.

Speaking about the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Wasim Akhtar, he said that during the last year of his predecessor’s tenure, the KMC’s income was only Rs1.2 billion.

However, he added, in the first six months of 2023 the KMC earned Rs580 million in revenue, “and during our five months the KMC’s income reached Rs1 billion, while in the next six months we will further improve the tax system and make it more transparent”.

Wahab said that this performance is the answer to those who said they cannot work in this city due to their lack of powers. It has now been proved that the mayor of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PPP administration are working.

He said that every penny received as revenue would be spent in accordance with the decision of the elected representatives in the City Council of Karachi. “Public money will be spent only on public welfare.”

He also said the KMC has decided that those who have served the city, and taken part in making it great and beautiful, including municipal staff, law enforcement personnel, artists, paramedical staff, doctors, lawyers and engineers, should be recognised for their services by presenting them Tamgha-e-Karachi every Independence Day.

He further said that every March 23 the City Council would decide which people would be awarded this medal. The KMC will also organise football, hockey, cricket and other sport tournaments annually, and award the best teams, he added.

The mayor said the city’s residents also have to play their part in terms of cleanliness and vehicle parking. “We built the underpass in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and other parties affixed their flags and banners there.”

He said the city should also be kept clean, adding that there should be no wall chalking. He pointed out that being the mayor his picture has been put up nowhere, but pictures of Jamaat-e-Islami city chief Naeemur Rehman are displayed on the board installed for giving directions. “For God’s sake, don’t use pedestrian bridges for advertisements.”

Also present on the occasion were Municipal Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi, Wahab’s political affairs representative Karamullah Waqasi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader in the City Council Dil Muhammad, Media Management Senior Director Ali Hassan Sajid and Culture & Sports Director Saif Abbas.