JI plans no-confidence motion against mayor

Opposition Leader in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) City Council, Saifuddin Advocate, on Friday announced plans to move a no-confidence motion against Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, holding him and the Sindh government fully responsible for what he described as continued misgovernance and repeated tragedies in the city.

Addressing a crowded press conference, Saifuddin Advocate said that Karachi remains in mourning following the Gul Plaza tragedy, yet the ruling elite appears indifferent to public suffering and remains busy with exhibitions and ceremonial activities. He said the people of Karachi are increasingly being forced to believe that the city has no guardian, as incidents of negligence and lawlessness continue unabated.

Launching a scathing attack on the provincial government, the opposition leader said residents of Karachi are being crushed under water tankers, killed due to dog bites, and shot dead during robbery resistance, while criminals roam freely. "Governance does not mean holding meeting after meeting. Governance becomes visible only when institutions function on time," he said, adding that a government cannot claim authority if the fire brigade fails to respond during emergencies.

Rejecting the inquiry report prepared under the supervision of the Karachi Commissioner into the Gul Plaza incident, Saifuddin Advocate termed it "bogus" and questioned the credibility of the committee. "How can those guilty of negligence conduct an impartial inquiry?" he asked.

He alleged that the report attempted to conceal facts and protect those responsible, and demanded a transparent investigation led by the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court or a senior judge of the judiciary.

Holding Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab directly responsible for the tragedy, Saifuddin Advocate said that while funerals were taking place in the city, the mayor was in Islamabad attending events and inaugurating exhibitions. "When a child falls into a gutter, the mayor inaugurates a swimming pool," he remarked.

He warned that if the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government fails to remove the mayor, the opposition will move a no-confidence motion against him. He said preparations for the motion have already begun and contacts have been established with political parties represented in the City Council, many of whom have assured their support.

Speaking on alleged financial corruption and institutional decay, Saifuddin Advocate claimed that the PPP has failed to account for Rs22 trillion over the past 17 years. He said that under the 2013 local government law, key KMC institutions were taken over, weakening the city government. He also criticized the separation of Rescue 1122 from KMC and the merger of the fire brigade into it, calling the move a serious administrative mistake.