Mayor opens ‘Bandar Road Se Keamari, Women and Family Festival 2026’

KARACHI: Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab inaugurated the “Bandar Road Se Keamari, Women and Family Festival 2026” at the historic Empress Market as the chief guest. Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentary Leader in the City Council Karamullah Waqasi, City Council members, and others were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said the festival aims to promote the message of women’s empowerment while encouraging cultural, social, and family-oriented recreational activities in Karachi.

He said empowering women and providing families with healthy recreational opportunities are important priorities. The “Bandar Road Se Keamari” Family Festival will offer citizens better entertainment opportunities and enable families to spend quality time together.

The mayor said promoting healthy recreational activities in Karachi is among the city administration’s priorities. Such festivals and events play an important role in highlighting the city’s cultural identity and providing citizens with opportunities to participate in positive activities.

He added that restoring Karachi’s vibrancy and making the city a centre of happiness are among the responsibilities of the city administration. Cultural and recreational events can bring positive changes to urban life, bring citizens closer together, and promote a family-friendly environment.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab said efforts to increase recreational opportunities for Karachi’s residents would continue. He added that the “Bandar Road Se Keamari, Women and Family Festival 2026” would contribute to promoting women’s empowerment, Karachi’s culture, and family entertainment.

The mayor also announced plans to organise a World Biryani Festival at the historic Empress Market in the coming days, followed by pulao and fish festivals. He said the objective is to provide entertainment opportunities to citizens and revive Karachi’s historic heritage.

Addressing the gathering, he said that in the past, the sound of gunfire could be heard at this location, whereas today the area resonates with activity and happiness. He expressed his desire for younger generations to visit Karachi’s historic landmarks and learn about the city’s culture and history.

Referring to previous events, he said a Bohra Food Festival had been organised in the past.

He emphasised that sincere intentions make it easier to achieve goals and said every possible effort would be made to make the historic market more active by organising various public events. He also expressed his intention to arrange a musical programme at a future event.

Speaking about road construction and rehabilitation projects, Mayor Karachi said development initiatives benefit ordinary citizens rather than any particular political party. He said he sees happiness on people’s faces when he visits the Natha Khan Link Road project site.

He added that improvements to the road network would benefit residents of Pehlwan Goth and Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Despite criticism, he said, work to provide better facilities to citizens would continue.

Addressing the issue of encroachments across Karachi, the mayor said that encroachments exist throughout the city and that he had warned the Anti-Encroachment Department to take action.

He said some town chairmen had also approached him seeking cooperation to eliminate encroachments. The Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), and police must work together to address the issue effectively.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab made it clear that action would be taken if any officer was found involved in wrongdoing. He stressed that political pressure should not become an obstacle to enforcing the law.

Regarding parking fees, Mayor Karachi said that if the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation was collecting parking fees on any road, the matter should be brought to his attention so that appropriate action could be taken.

He added that the relevant town administrations should implement the government’s decision to abolish parking fees.

The mayor reiterated his desire to see citizens participate enthusiastically in the proposed World Biryani Festival and said the event would help introduce Karachi’s food culture to a wider international audience. He expressed hope that the festival would further highlight the popularity and distinctive taste of Karachi’s famous biryani.