‘For a better tomorrow’

New mayor vows to remain apolitical

KARACHI: With the promise to bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan and strengthen its ideology, integrity, solidarity and prosperity through good governance, the jailed mayor of Karachi, Wasim Akhtar, and deputy mayor Arshad Vohra, took their oaths on Tuesday.

For the first time, the 28th mayor of the city contested the election from the confines of jail, where Akhtar is remanded in several cases.

Akhtar, wearing black pants and a crisp white shirt with a red tie, was transported from the city’s Central Jail to the Bagh-i-Quaid-i-Azam at around 1pm.



Just like the mayoral election day, the usual fervour attributed to the of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was conspicuously missing during the oath-taking ceremony as party slogans were rarely heard. The ceremony was also devoid of the Sindh government’s presence.

The audience included businessmen, diplomats and people from all walks of life, including Akhtar’s wife and children.

Addressing the oath-taking ceremony, Akhtar thanked members of his party, PPP, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami, who participated in the elections and helped him get elected. He said that together, they would all resolve the city’s issues.

Showing faith in chief minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah, he said he hopes that the young and energetic new CM will play his role and help him rid Karachi of its problems.

Jail break: Waseem Akhtar takes oath as Karachi mayor

“After taking oath our link with politics has already ended,” he said adding that now for four years they would work for the city.

Addressing the diplomats and the business community members, he said unfortunately he is behind bars facing false charges, which are all bailable. “I will move an application for bail and I am sure I will get justice,” he said adding that once he’s out he would need help from people of all walks of life to serve the city.

Later, the traditional key of the city was handed over to Akhtar by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) administrator Laeeq Ahmed, while the oath was administered by returning officer Samiuddin Siddiqui.

A wife’s plea

Akhtar’s wife, Naila Wajid Khan, told The Express Tribune the city cannot be run from inside a prison. “The mayor deserves to be out and serve the city” she said, adding that she believes her husband will soon be out of jail.

Oath-taking in DMCs

MQM’s candidates for chairman and vice-chairman, Moid Anwar and Abdul Rauf, took oath at the District East DMC office. Whereas, in District South, PPP’s chairman Malik Fayaz and PTI’s vice-chairman Mansoor Shaikh were sworn in.



Meanwhile, MQM candidates Nayar Raza and Rukunuddin took oath as the chairman and vice-chairman of District Korangi respectively.  In District Malir, PPP’s Jan Mohammad Baloch and Abdul Khaliq Murwat took their oaths as chairman and vice-chairman. In District Central, MQM’s candidates for chairman, Rehman Hashmi, and vice-chairman, Shakir Ali, took oath.

The first session

According to the law, the mayor after taking the oath is supposed to call the first session of the city council in 30 days. However, KMC’s Council director, Ghufran Ahmed, told The Express Tribune that the Sindh government is supposed to notify the rules of business for the city council before the first session is summoned.



He explained that the rules for the last city council have no value after the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013. The Sindh government would have to notify the new rules before the thirty days, so the session could be summoned, he added.

Meanwhile, Vohra said that he would address these issues on Wednesday, after reaching his office in the old KMC building.

Province-wide ceremonies

The newly-elected mayors and deputy mayors, chairmen and vice-chairmen of district councils, municipal committees and town committees across the province were also sworn into their offices on Tuesday.

In Sukkur, PPP’s newly-elected mayor Arsalan Shaikh and deputy mayor Tariq Chohan along with district council chairman Aslman Shaikh and vice-chairman Shahzaib Shah reached the deputy commissioner’s (DC) office in a large convoy.

The elected heads of the local bodies in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah divisions also took oaths of office at separate ceremonies.

In Hyderabad, separate events were organised for the oath-taking of mayor and deputy mayor of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, chairmen and vice-chairmen of the district council, two municipal committees and a town committee. MQM’s Syed Tayyab Hussain, a former MNA, and Suhail Mashhadi, a former Sindh auqaf minister, were administered oath for mayor and deputy mayor.

The ceremony, attended by local government minister Jam Khan Shoro, took place at Mehran Arts Council.

PPP’s Kashif Shoro, brother of the minister, and Iqbal Soomro, swore the oath of chairman and vice-chairman of Qasimabad Municipal Committee at an event in Mumtaz Mirza Auditorium.

In Larkana, the ceremony was held at Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Library where the elected representatives vowed to serve the city with utmost loyalty.

Celebrations were also observed in Khairpur, where the ceremony was held at Sachal Auditorium, Ghotki, Jacobabad and Shikarpur, where the ceremonies were held at the conference hall of their respective DC’s office. Similar ceremonies were also held in other cities of Upper Sindh.

In Badin, where the PPP wrung the slots of chairman and vice-chairman from Zulfiqar Mirza’s party, Ali Asghar Halepoto and Allah Dino Chandio were administered the oath of office.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2016.