KARACHI: Parliamentary party heads of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the two main opposition parties in the City Council, on Monday preferred to stay away from the maiden meeting called by Mayor Murtaza Wahab of leaders of different parties to discuss smooth running of the 367-strong house.

The mayor said that he had invited all parliamentary party leaders in the City Council to discuss the running of the house in a congenial atmosphere. However, he said, representatives of the JI and PTI did not attend the meeting and communicated that they were already busy with some engagements.

The parliamentary party leaders of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and its allies Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) attended the meeting.

The mayor said that he convened the meeting because his party wanted the elected representatives of the local government across the aisle to work jointly for the uplift of the city and resolution of public problems.

Wahab says first session of municipal house to be held on 17th

He discussed with them the way forward to run the municipal house in a congenial atmosphere in the interest of the city.

Talking to Dawn, the mayor said that the City Council session would be held on July 17, and he wanted to discuss with the parliamentary party leaders the manner in which the council ran its business.

He said that he had invited all parliamentary party leaders in the City Council, including JI’s Hafiz Naeemur Rahman and PTI’s Muhammad Mubashir.

However, the mayor said JI’s parliamentary party leader excused him from attending the meeting, saying he was already occupied.

He said that there were two groups of council members belonging to the PTI. “The leader of the PTI also informed me on the phone that he was busy and unable to attend the meeting,” he said.

About the leader of the PTI’s dissident group, he said he had assured him that the PTI would accept all decisions in the interest of the city.

Mr Wahab said that he had requested all parliamentary leaders to work jointly for the solution of civic problems in the city. He said that the meeting was also told that their criticism of any decision of the municipal administration that was not in the interest of the city and its people. The mayor said it was the first time that the head of the municipal administration had held a meeting with the parliamentary leaders of the parties in the City Council.

Mr Wahab said that all elected chairmen of union committees (UCs) would be given equal funds without any discrimination, adds PPI.

He said that all areas of Karachi would be equally developed. He promised that all the works for the improvement of the city would be carried out with mutual consultation.

On this occasion, Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, PPP’s parliamentary party leader Najmi Alam, PML-N’s Feroze Khan, JUI-F’s Mufti Khalid, PTI dissident Asad Aman, TLP’s Muhammad Yasir and others were present.

The mayor said that the process of collection of municipal utility services charges would be improved for revenue generation and for this discussions had already been held with the K-Electric.

In the past, the collection process of municipal utility service charges bills was not satisfactory due to which there was very little recovery; therefore maximum recovery would be ensured in this regard and other sources of revenue will also be improved, he said.

During the meeting, PPP’s Najmi Alam said that his party would not use or allow unparliamentary words during the maiden meeting of the City Council.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2023