KARACHI: Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Monday said that health and education was not the job of local government.

He said this while talking to reporters after performing the formal opening of the Gulistan-i-Jauhar underpass.

The mayor, who is known for his stance that running schools and hospitals is not the job of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), said that the local government should be allowed to do municipal work.

Replying to a query regarding contesting election for the chairman of a union committee to become eligible to continue hold the office after six-month deadline, he said that a constituency for him and deputy mayor had been selected and a consultation process was going on in the party.

Opens Gulistan-i-Jauhar underpass for traffic

“I will contest the elections in the fixed period of six months...I hope we will get votes for the development of Karachi,” he said.

Barrister Wahab said PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari always told him to solve the problems of Karachi with mutual coordination.

He said now work was going on in Karachi in a dynamic manner and development work was under way in all areas of Karachi without discrimination.

In response to a question, he said it was easy for him to provide all the facilities for free, but this would not stabilise the KMC.

He said that the work on the Natha Khan Bridge was in progress, replacement of expansion joints was also under way, and work was visible.

“The foundation stone of Korangi Causeway has been laid and work on eight-lane Jam Sadiq Bridge has started,” he said, adding: “The construction of the road in front of Meena Bazaar, Sher Shah Road, Shahrah-i-Noor Jehan and 17 roads of the SITE area is going on.”

About the Gulistan-i Jauhar flyover, underpass and drainage line project in Pehalwan Goth, he said that the project had completed at a cost of Rs2.1 billion.

He said that the 1,100-metres-long, 19-metres-wide underpass had been completed in almost five months and would facilitate people travelling from Gulistan-i-Jauhar to Sharea Faisal and Airport.

“This area lies under Faisal Cantonment, but without thinking about whose jurisdiction it is, the Sindh government completed these three projects for the convenience of the citizens. We don’t cry for powers or say that we don’t have funds.”

He said due to the construction of Red Line on University Road, the project would also be used as an alternative route.He said that work would now be done on the service road on both sides of the underpass because the traffic will now pass through it.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2023