Mayor urges utilities to refrain from load-shedding, creating water shortage in Ramazan

Mayor Wasim Akhtar has urged utility service providers to refrain from load-shedding and reducing water supply to the city during the upcoming month of Ramazan to facilitate residents.

Presiding over a session of the City Council on Monday, Akhtar said that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board should deploy adequate staff at its installations to perform their duties honestly.

The council also expressed concern over persistent power breakdowns in the city in the hot weather and demanded that action be taken against K-Electric, Rs200 billion be returned to the citizens of Karachi and the utility provider be brought under government control again. Moreover, the council passed 13 resolutions, including one condemning recent remarks made by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The council demanded from the chief justice of Pakistan and chief election commissioner of Sindh that development funds be spent through elected chairmen of union councils instead of their release to the community development programme and the deputy commissioners. The council also asked the federal and Sindh government to stop uplift schemes and take up these works after the general elections so that transparency in development works could be ensured.

Through the passed resolutions, the council gave approval for the up-gradation of the post of telephone operators and telephone technicians from BPS-7 and BPS-9 to BPS-11 and BPS-15, respectively, and also sanctioned the allocation of Rs10,000 for the Imprest account for the KMC senior director estate and Rs20,000 for the Imprest account for senior director anti-encroachments. The council also gave its approval of the contract for slaughtering in North Karachi Slaughter House for 2017-18 and an increase in the rate of entry fee for Karachi Zoo, Landhi-Korangi Zoo and Safari Park.

Controversial statement

The City Council unanimously passed a resolution against Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemning controversial statements made by him a few days ago.

However, council members belonging to the PML-N disagreed with the move and protested close to the chair of Mayor Akhtar, who was presiding the session, shouting slogans in favour of Nawaz.

Incidentally, PML-N Parliamentary Leader in the City Council, Aman Afridi, remained seated and did not join his colleagues’ protest. The resolution against the former PM stated that by making such statements, he will strengthen the forces of the opponents and embolden anti-state factors to complete their evil designs.

The city council demanded that the CJP and chief of army take serious notice against Nawaz and that a sedition trial should be held against him. The resolution was passed unanimously among thumping of desks by the council’s representatives.

Meanwhile speaking to the media after the session, PML-N leaders claimed that Aman Afridi, who had not joined their protest, has taken hundreds of schemes allegedly from the mayor and therefore did not support his party members in the council. They added they would soon choose another member as their parliamentary leader.