Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said on Sunday that the city’s residents want development, merit and better civic services instead of politics based on division and prejudice.
Speaking to the media in Karachi, Wahab said some political groups still viewed the city’s problems through the lens of discrimination and division. He said ordinary citizens were more concerned about development, infrastructure and access to basic services.
The mayor said Karachi’s people had faced distractions in the past instead of receiving the opportunities and facilities needed for the city’s progress.
Wahab also criticised the past political role of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi. He alleged that political interests affected merit and pushed young people towards violence instead of education and constructive activities.
He said there was a time when a single call from the MQM could bring Karachi to a standstill, disrupting daily life and economic activity.
Wahab also claimed that residents of the Garden area had faced a lack of basic facilities, including an adequate water supply.
Highlighting the city administration’s efforts, he said a new pumping station became operational on Sunday to improve water supply and other basic services.
The mayor said the authorities were working to provide Karachi’s residents with the facilities they deserved. He stressed that the city needed policies focused on merit, infrastructure and better civic services.
Wahab said Karachi could progress only if its leaders moved away from divisive politics and focused on solving the daily problems of its millions of residents.
He added that the city’s future depended on development-focused policies and effective delivery of basic services rather than a return to the political tensions of the past.