PPP's Murtaza Wahab becomes mayor of Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Murtaza Wahab on Monday took oath as the mayor of Karachi after he defeated Jamaat-e-Islami's (JI) Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman in the mayoral elections. 

Wahab's oath was administered by Provincial Election Commissioner Sindh Ejaz Anwar Chohan.

Following Wahab's oath, his deputy Salman Abdullah also took oath of office. 

On June 15, the elections for the mayoral position were held in which Wahab took the lead by securing 173 votes while JI's Karachi chief bagged 160 votes.

The result was also the same for the elections held for deputy mayor, with PPP's Salman Abdullah securing the seat and JI's Saifuddin Saif coming in second. 

The dramatic turnaround was followed by JI allegations that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Sindh administration used muscle power and money to ensure victory for their candidates, which the PPP leaders including Wahab rejected.

Following Wahab's win, the workers of PPP and JI clashed outside the Arts Council — which was the polling station for the mayoral election.

The oath-taking ceremony of the mayor and deputy mayor was attended by PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, various ministers and advisors.

Who is Murtaza Wahab?

Newly-elected Mayor Murtaza Wahab was born in Karachi on December 25, 1983. He received his education from Government Commerce College and a law degree from the University of London. Wahab is a lawyer by profession.

He has held the position of advisor on law from May 2015 till November 2016. He was also elected unopposed as senator in August 2017, a position he held till retirement in March 2018.

He has also held portfolios such as Anti-Corruption Establishment, environment, climate change, coastal development and information.

In 2021, he held the position of administrator of Karachi, legal advisor and spokesperson of the Sindh government.

Wahab's appointment challenged in SHC

Wahab may have taken oath as the mayor but a petition has been filed against him in the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking to "de-notify, suspend and cancel" his appointment.

In his petition, Muhammad Amir Khan said that "Murtaza Wahab was not the chosen representative of the people as on 15th June, 2023, nor at the time of his Oath, hence, his election and appointment as Mayor Karachi and subsequent exercise of power and authority on behalf of Stale as "Mayor Karachi" is unconstitutional, ultravires with the Basic Scheme constitution and is therefore liable to be suspended, cancelled and to be de-notified ab intio forthwith."

'PPP will continue to solve problems of Karachi'

Addressing the media after, PPP Chairman Bilawal talked about the struggles faced by the party and responded to the allegations of the mayor elections being rigged.

"The PPP has been fighting against politics of hatred and extremism in this city for years and the leaders of PPP have sacrificed their lives for the country and restoration of democracy," said Bilawal.

The party chairman said that they will respond to the rigging allegations with their performance, adding that "we do not snatch elections, they are snatched from us."

Bilawal assured the people of Karachi that his party has solved the problems in past and will continue to do so. "Karachi is the only city which can save the country and free it from the issues. I will take a personal interest in the issues of Karachi," he added.

"The politics of division and hatred must be rejected. We will solve the problems of the city by uniting."

"There are many problems in Karachi which are related to the federal and provincial government. However, the provincial government will cooperate with the mayor of Karachi," he said.

Bilawal further assured the people that tax money collected by the local government will be spent on them, adding that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) will work together with the private sector in the city.

He said that the issue of water in Karachi will be solved collectively, adding that Murtaza Wahab's performance will be better than all previous mayors.