KARACHI: In its first session held after a lapse of over six years, the newly elected Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution against London-based MQM founder Altaf Hussain for his Aug 22 incendiary speech and demanded action against all those involved in crimes and chanting anti-Pakistan slogans.

The city council also demanded the immediate release of jailed Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar through another unanimously passed resolution.

It also condemned Indian atrocities in India-held Jammu and Kashmir.

The long-awaited maiden city council session was held almost 10 months after the Dec 5, 2015 local government elections, as the election of the mayor and deputy mayor as well as on seats reserved for women, minorities, youth and labourers was held last month.

In the 308-strong house, close to 300 members, most belonging to the MQM, were present in the municipal hall, which was recently renovated with increased seating capacity.

However, cracks on the walls and splintered ceilings vandalised the once a beautiful and imposing British-era mansion.

The proceedings were delayed by more than one hour as everyone was anticipating the arrival of Mayor Akhtar. However, the house was later told that the municipal commissioner took permission from a court and had sent production orders to the Karachi central prison to produce the interned mayor to attend and preside over the council proceedings.

However, he was not brought to the council session for the reasons best known to the authorities. In his absence, Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra presided over the first session.

The introduction of a resolution by all parties in the city council against MQM supremo Hussain was the highlight of the day.

The joint resolution was tabled by Jamaat-i-Islami’s Junaid Mukati and seconded by the MQM’s Arif Khan Advocate and Aslam Shah Afridi. Besides, leaders of other parties — Karamullah Waqasi of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Firdous Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Akbar Hashmi of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Amanullah Afridi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Alam Zeb of the Awami National Party — endorsed the resolution.

The resolution reads: “This elected house of the KMC Council strongly condemns MQM’s founder Altaf Hussain’s incendiary speech/anti-Pakistan slogans on Aug 22 at Karachi Press Club aiming at attacking on Pakistan’s integrity and solidarity and attacks on the media houses, particularly on the offices of ARY News.

“This house demands immediate and strict action and punishment as per the law and the Constitution to those elements involved in all sorts of crimes, torture, terrorism, anti-state activities, hate speech and chanting of slogans against Pakistan.”

With some 200 members of the MQM present in the house, the resolution was unanimously adopted.

However, a council member belonging to the MQM, who identified himself as Mohammad Farooq from a union committee of Korangi, said that he supported the resolution, but it should include other political personalities who had also made anti-Pakistan remarks in the past.

The chair, however, said that the resolution was tabled by all parties present in the house so it should be adopted unanimously and the house did so in the end.

The chair, however, said that another resolution against other political leaders who had allegedly made anti-Pakistan speeches could be introduced and passed by the house.

Riffat Khan and Nadeem Hashmi of the MQM tabled another resolution demanding that Mayor Waseem Akhtar be released ‘forthwith’.

According to the resolution, “This house demands that Mayor Waseem Akhtar be released at once. The mayor had announced after taking oath that he is not the mayor of a single party, but he is the mayor of Karachi. Therefore, this house demands the government to release Mr Waseem Akhtar so that he could play his role for the betterment of the city to fullest of his potential.”

Some opposition members from the opposition objected to the language of the resolution, saying it aimed at denying the law taking its due course.

The chair suggested an addition in the original resolution, which reads: “The legal formalities for the release of Karachi mayor be fulfilled in soonest possible time.”

The resolution was also unanimously adopted. Through another resolution, the house condemned India for continuing tensions on borders and human rights violation in India-held Kashmir.

It expressed concern over the “genocide of Kashmiri Muslims and incessant curfew in the valley” and demanded that the international community play its part in ensuring rights to the people of Kashmir.

It also said Pakistan’s 200 million people would stand shoulder to shoulder with their armed forces for defending the motherland.

Earlier, leaders of all parties represented in the house spoke on behalf of their members and ensured their cooperation to the Karachi mayor for serving the city better.

They all lamented that the city had long denied its rights, suffered from worst municipal and sanitation problems and sat on the population bomb.

The chair appreciated the united resolve of the parties to better serve the city.

However, when a council member belonging to the PPP objected to the hasty introduction and approval of 27 committees without election of the leader of the opposition, Dr Vohra said he had received the rules of business a couple of hours before the session started.

The house was settled with the assurance that the actual number of committees and strength of each of them would be decided later by mutual deliberations by the ruling and opposition parties.

The chair adjourned the proceedings till Oct 3.

As soon as the deputy mayor adjourned the proceedings, members from all sides raised Long Live Pakistan slogans. The MQM and PPP members also chanted their respective party slogans.

The deputy mayor later told journalists at his office that he would again issue orders to the jail authorities for the production of Mayor Akhtar on Monday when the session would be resumed.

Published in Dawn September 29th, 2016