Emotional Karachi Mayor criticizes Sindh govt in farewell press briefing

KARACHI: Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar got visibly emotional today (Monday) and strongly criticized the Sindh government for hindering the development projects in the metropolis.

Addressing a farewell press conference at the KMC head office, he recounted his performance over the past four years and claimed that he had written thousands of applications to Sindh government as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi.

However, he said that neither the president, nor the prime minister, chief secretary nor local government minister responded to any of his letters. “Who will take these? Not a single reply was given,” he added.

The outgoing Karachi Mayor asserted that he won the election with a larger mandate than the one secured by the Sindh chief minister. “Despite having that mandate, no one has been listening to him,” he added.

Criticizing the provincial leaders, he said, “Karachi feeds you and your children. This is Paris for you. I have seen the houses you have purchased in Defence and Clifton,” adding that the Supreme Court of Pakistan should take notice, the prime minister should do something for this city.

He further said that the provincial government does not want development not just in Karachi but in all of Sindh. “They just want to loot the city,” adding that they had destroyed Larkana, Sehwan, Dadu, and Mirpurkhas.

He also questioned the performance of the PPP-led provincial government over the past 12 years. “They are now here to destroy this city. They are dividing it. Someone should question them,” he remarked.

“In the past four years, I had not bought a car, nor let anybody else buy one. I saved money,” he claimed. He also criticized Prime Minister Imran Khan for sending National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to the city.

In this regard, he said, “PM Imran, you should have visited the city. Karachi is responsible for your budget, nothing can be accomplished while sitting in Islamabad. Come and fix the city.”

Earlier on August 10, Wasim Akhtar informed that his tenure was about to end on August 28 and he was not foreseeing the next local government elections to be held anytime soon.