Police not taking action against those creating mischief, says Wahab

The government will not allow anyone to destroy the peace of Karachi in any way.

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab said this while addressing a press conference at the Frere Hall on Saturday.

“We have established peace in the city after a lot of struggle and sacrifices and lawyers, businessmen, journalists and citizens of Karachi have played their role in establishing peace. This city has seen enough bad times, and now this all should end,” he said.

The mayor’s spokesman for political affairs Karamullah Waqasi, who is also the District South General Secretary and other local government representatives were also present on the occasion.

Wahab said that peace was established in this city after great efforts, now no one should be allowed to take the law in their own hands. “I am disappointed that attempts are being made to disturb the law and order situation.”

He remarked that no one would want Karachi to face the situation similar to 1990s. In the past, extortion was common in Karachi, factories were burnt, and corpses in sacks were found, the mayor said.

He recalled that once a media office at Gurumandir was directly targeted by shooters.

“We don't want that Karachi. The children and political parties of this city are ours,” he said.

Wahab, who belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party, said some people wanted to play the same role that they played on the black day of May 12.

The police, he said, were not playing their role, and they should ensure that no person was allowed to commit mischief or terror in the city.

The mayor added that FIRs should be filed against those who committed crimes. He urged the caretaker chief minister, home minister and police authorities to take notice of the deteriorating law and order situation in the city and provide security to the public.

He said that five days ago, the office of Waqasi was attacked but the miscreants were still not arrested. He added that some people involved in politics were blaming others for their mischiefs.

Referring to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the erstwhile Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) that has now merged with the MQM-P, Wahab said that when the dolphin (PSP’s symbol) and the kite were separate, they used to blame each other. “Their job is still to blame,” he said, adding that in the 2018 elections, the political party whose symbol was the dolphin used to say that they would become the prime minister.

Referring to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Wahab said that in the current situation, the person who was talking about development and taking Pakistan out of problems was a young leader.

In response to a question, the mayor said the political parties who were using the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) properties to put up their banners should pay rent to the KMC.

Those who call me the Qabza mayor have themselves occupied the pedestrian bridge of the KMC, he remarked. “When we tried to remove the political flags from the city on the orders of the Supreme Court, the KMC staff were beaten up,” he said.