Domiciles to be verified for govt jobs, says Wahab

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab, who also serves as the spokesperson for the Sindh government, on Saturday announced that a bill to improve the Sindh Public Service Commissioner would be passed from the Sindh Assembly on Monday.

The Sindh government, he said, had decided that the domiciles would be verified at the time of government employment. “Job is the right of the local people and they should not be treated unfairly,” he said.

He added that the next mayor of Karachi would be from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and there was enough capacity in the party to resolve the problems of the city.

He said parks, open spaces and playgrounds were being restored in all the districts of Karachi.

He was speaking to media persons after inaugurating the Rashid Rabbani Family Park in Clifton on Monday. Karachi Water and Sewerage Board Vice Chairman Najmi Alam, PPP Karachi Deputy Secretary Information Shakeel Chaudhry, PPP South District President Khalil Hoot, General Secretary Karamullah Waqasi, wife of the late PPP leader Rashid Rabbani, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Aruba Rabbani who is also the daughter of Rashid, District Municipal Corporation South Administrator Dr Afshan Rubab, Municipal Commissioner Akhtar Sheikh and others were also present.

Wahab said that all the parks and playgrounds in Karachi which were deserted or occupied in the past were being restored and opened for the citizens.

He said the park being inaugurated was named after senior PPP leader Rabbani who served the country and the nation. “This is a tribute to him from the political activists of Karachi,” he said.

Wahab said that in the forthcoming budget, the Sindh government would try not to impose new taxes. “From the next financial year, property tax will be collected by local bodies and it is expected that utility charges will also be included in electricity bills which will help local bodies stand on their own feet,” he remarked.

He said that good decisions had been made to strengthen the KMC economically. He added that in a city like Mumbai, Rs42 billion was received by the local bodies in terms of taxes while the KMC only got Rs210 million.

In response to a question, the KMC administrator said people of Pakistan had rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

He added that the PPP was carrying out work in Karachi but the PTI was trying to hijack those works by placing its flags over them.

Wahab maintained that the federal government had tried to tax the rich while giving maximum relief to the poor in the budget tabled in Friday.

"An increase in the salaries of government employees is welcoming," he said.

He also urged the citizens not to pollute the city and avoid wall chalking. “There is a need to create awareness among the citizens that this city is our asset and we have to protect it and make it beautiful," he stated.