Murtaza Wahab fires back at JI for 'spreading propaganda'

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Monday highlighted tensions between the Pakistan People’s Party and Jamaat-e-Islami during a press conference.

With the city reeling from a second wave of monsoon rain, Wahab accused JI of using rain-caused disaster to besmirch the name of PPP, claiming that the opposition party had spread false propaganda.

"I have come today to inform the people of Karachi about the facts. Our political opponents have launched negative propaganda regarding the Hub Canal and Shahrah-e-Bhutto."

The mayor of Karachi had started the press conference, urging ones to keep political differences out of the equation when disaster strikes, and yet his finger never stopped pointing.

In the latest rain spell, many transport arteries of the city had been damaged. Wahab claims that this damage was exaggerated: "Haleem Adil Sheikh arrived and claimed that the Hub Canal had been washed away. In reality, only a 20-meter portion of the Hub Canal was damaged. That 20-meter section was immediately repaired within 48 hours."

Read: Karachi chokes under traffic gridlocks

Torrential rains paralysed Karachi this past week, inundating neighbourhoods, sweeping away vehicles and killing at least four people, while over 400 were rescued as the army joined civil authorities in relief operations across flooded areas.

Commuters endured hours-long traffic gridlocks on Thursday as the closure of key routes paralyzed vehicular movement on major arteries linking Korangi, Defence, and central Karachi.

According to the Mayor of the city, Shahrah-e-Bhutto was serviceable, and all speculation regarding its closure during he second rain spell was plain propaganda.

What is confirmed is that a flash flood in the Malir River caused significant damage to the under-construction Shahrah-e-Bhutto at Malir Jam Goth. The floodwaters swept through the road, creating a gap several feet wide and deep.

Read more: Flash flood washes away part of Shahrah-e-Bhutto

The closure of Korangi Crossing, Malir River Causeway, and EBM Causeway due to floodwaters disrupted the flow of traffic from early morning until late at night on September 10.

Massive traffic congestion was reported on Korangi Road, Qayyumabad Chowrangi, Jam Sadiq Bridge, Baloch Colony Expressway, Brooks Chowrangi, and Defence Signal, where vehicles remained stuck in long queues for hours.

Wahab's explanation for the traffic mayhem paralysing Karachi was simple, "Whenever such a situation arises, naturally, damage does occur."

He fired back with his own set of accusations, claiming that Jamaat-i-Islami was given Rs27 billion, "All tax revenues go to the Town Chairmen, yet they still don't carry out the work."

Renouncing further silence on the subject, Wahab charged after JI, stating that JI filed a court case alleging that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) commercialised Karachi's parks. He doubled down, with claims that JI member Saifuddin lied under oath when presented in court.

"It was Naimatullah Khan who commercialised Karachi's roads."

Wahab pointed more fingers, namely at Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, suggesting that Model Colony Town received Rs2.5 billion, and "yet not a single road has been built."