Mayor's term ends on 28th: I am not seeing next LG polls soon: Wasim Akhtar

KARACHI: Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Monday said that Karachiites paid 65 per cent and 95 per cent taxes to the federal and Sindh governments respectively, asking where the amount was being spent.

"I am ready to tender my resignation if someone assures [me] that the issues would be resolved with my resignation. I am serving in extremely difficult circumstances," the mayor said while talking to the media outside the Supreme Court's Karachi Registry here.

Akhtar said he had been implicated in fabricated cases and was nominated in dozens of FIRs despite being a mayor.

"I have been raising my voice for the last four years for empowerment of the local bodies across the country," he said.

Akhtar said that the Chief Justice of Pakistan had rightly expressed his displeasure over the situation of Karachi which deteriorated especially in the last 12 years.

He said that no one could deliver with the power under which he had been serving.

"The tenure of the incumbent local government is completing on the 28th of August, and I am not seeing next local government polls soon.

"I request the Chief Justice of Pakistan to hear my petition filed for empowerment of local bodies under Article 140-A of the Constitution," the mayor said.

Akhtar said that 70 percent of the city was controlled by the federal government while 20 per cent was under the provincial government's control, adding that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had control over just 10 per cent of the city. He was of the view that all powers of the KMC, including building control, master plan, transport, solid waste management and other civic departments, were controlled by the Sindh government.

"Even the power of drains' cleanliness was snatched from the KMC, and the provincial government has formed different authorities under its control," he said.

He said that the voice of the Karchiites was not being heard at any level, and no one seemed to be interested in resolving the issues of the city.

The mayor was of the view that Karachi was being neglected deliberately.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020