Karachi City Council passes resolution against new administrative units in Sindh

KARACHI: Following the Sindh Assembly, the Karachi City Council has also passed a resolution opposing the creation of new administrative units in the province.

A resolution against the division of Sindh was unanimously approved during a session of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Council. The resolution was moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) member Muhammad Aslam.

The session turned chaotic after the opposition opposed the proposal to operate KMC’s valuable assets under public-private partnerships. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, in response, referred to two plots in Jamshed Quarters where the Jamaat-e-Islami’s Idara Noor-e-Haq is located.

The remarks angered Jamaat-e-Islami members, triggering sloganeering that eventually escalated into a physical altercation.

During the KMC Council session, members discussed the use of KMC-owned land. Opposition Leader Saifuddin Advocate argued that valuable KMC assets and properties, including Spencer Eye Hospital, should remain under the control of the civic body and should not be operated through public-private partnerships.

In response, Mayor Murtaza Wahab referred to the land occupied by Idara Noor-e-Haq, prompting an uproar in the council and eventually leading to a scuffle.

Regarding the two plots occupied by Idara Noor-e-Haq in Jamshed Quarters, the mayor said that plots No. 503 and 504 had once been owned by the KMC, raising questions over how the land was allotted to anyone.

Opposition Leader Saifuddin Advocate responded that he had the relevant records and challenged the mayor to verify them. He said he would resign if his position was proven incorrect.

The KMC Council session was subsequently adjourned indefinitely.