Munim Zafar calls Murtaza Wahab a ‘fake mayor’, slams PPP governance in Karachi

KARACHI: Murtaza Wahab has come under sharp criticism from Munim Zafar Khan, who questioned the legitimacy of the Karachi mayor and accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of imposing him on the city through changes in election rules and constituency boundaries, ARY News reported.

Addressing the media, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief said that while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had expressed confidence in Murtaza Wahab and the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh, the residents of Karachi consider him a “fake mayor.”

Munim Zafar said that being a mayor affiliated with the PPP was not the main issue, adding that the real concern was that the mandate had been “stolen” through what he termed as manipulated delimitations and amendments in election rules by the Election Commission of Pakistan. According to him, these changes allowed the mayor to be imposed on Karachi’s citizens.

He alleged that altering election laws enabled what he described as a “mafia” to be imposed on the city’s residents.

Khan also criticised the Sindh government’s performance, saying there had been no addition to Karachi’s water supply for the past 18 years. He noted that the long-delayed K-IV Water Project had been under development for the past 21 years but had yet to be completed, while the city’s water problems remain unresolved despite repeated claims by authorities.

Highlighting infrastructure concerns, he said Karachi’s infrastructure was in a dilapidated condition. He pointed out that Rs4 billion had been spent on the Karimabad Underpass, yet the project had still not been completed.

Khan added that authorities were making “big claims” after constructing only small streets, arguing that better traffic management could have removed the need for such underpasses.

He further said that Karachi’s residents had effectively been left at the mercy of dumpers and trailers on the roads. According to him, those who survive traffic accidents often fall victim to street criminals.

“Citizens face accidents daily, and this is the performance of the PPP,” he said.

Khan also questioned the administrative control of the Karachi Development Authority, asking Wahab to clarify under whose authority it operates and whether it is not under the Sindh government. He alleged that the authority too was under PPP’s control.

Referring to water supply projects, Khan said Rs12.8 billion had been spent on the Hub Canal Project, but residents were still not receiving water.