Connect with us

Pakistan

Murtaza Wahab resigns as Karachi administrator

Published

on

  • Murtaza Wahab announces resignation after SHC restricts KMC from collecting taxes through KE.
  • Wahab was appointed KMC administrator on August 6, 2021.
  • Says he would send his resignation to Chief Minister Sindh.

KARACHI: Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab Monday announced his resignation from office after a high court restricted the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) from collecting taxes through the city’s power utility.

The announcement to quit came on the heels of a Sindh High Court ruling (SHC) that temporarily barred the KMC from gathering municipal taxes through electricity bills.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab was appointed KMC administrator on August 6, 2021.

Addressing a press conference, a dismayed Wahab lamented the court decision and said: “It would have been easier for me to ask the prime minister and the chief minister for funds, but I did not, as I believe the way of the law is the only solution.”

“The Constitution and the law of the land have a solution for everything.”

He said as per the relevant law, the metropolitan corporation was authorised to impose taxes.

“When the city roads are submerged, nobody knocks on Waseem Akhtar or Naeem-ur-Rehman’s door, and the citizens question me, the government, and the KMC for answers,” Wahab added. 

He said as per the relevant law the metropolitan corporation was authorised to impose taxes.

“When the city roads are submerged, nobody knocks on Waseem Akhtar or Naeem-ur-Rehman’s door. People question me, the government, and the KMC,” Wahab added.

He claimed papers showed the recovery rate during Waseem Akhtar’s time was only 20 %. “Where was the money going then?”

Hinting at the rampant corruption during the time of the former mayor of the coastal city, Wahab said Waseem Akhtar had hired a private contractor to collect the taxes. “Once they collected Rs200 million and were given Rs40 million,” he alleged.

The administrator also claimed his hands were clean and asserted he fought the dirt in the system at the cost of his rightful comfort.

“I was out in the field during the disasters supervising the repairs, rescue, and relief work personally. I was working while wearing a mask during the COVID-19 outbreak. I always tried to serve people indiscriminately without any bias.”

Wahab said his mistake was that instead of his pocket, he loved the KMC.

“There are forces at work here that doesn’t let us do our job efficiently. It’s not easy to work in this city as everything is resisted here.”

The outgoing administrator of the country’s financial hub said he had diabetes and the work-related stress was worsening it, which was taking a toll on his health.

He said he would send his resignation to Chief Minister Sindh after this press conference. 

Latest News

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake rattles Swat and surrounding areas.

Published

on

By

Late on Thursday night, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 shook the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the surrounding districts of Swat.

Fearfully, people emerged from their houses and began reciting passages from the Holy Quran. The earthquake did not cause any documented casualties or damage to property in any area in Swat.

The earthquake’s epicenter, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre in Islamabad, was situated 71 kilometers deep in the border region between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake that struck earlier in the day rocked several Pakistani cities, including Islamabad, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, and the Swat valley. In addition, Lower Dir, Malakand, and Muzaffarabad all experienced earthquakes.

Continue Reading

Pakistan

Sources claim that Babar was reappointed as the cricket team’s captain.

Published

on

By

Reappointing Babar Azam to lead the national squad upon the call of the newly-formed selection committee was decided by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday.

Sources claim that Babar will captain the Green Shirts in the upcoming five-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand, which kicks off on April 20.

After the team’s crushing defeat in the ICC World Cup 2023, Shaheen Shah Afridi was chosen as the white-ball captain, while Shan Masood was named the red-ball captain by the previous PCB administration.

The sources claimed that Babar’s appointment as captain was suggested by the selection committee. They said he will go to the Kakul training camp as captain.

Shaheen had chosen to step down, but his close friends urged him against it and to wait for the PCB’s decision, according to individuals close to him.

After guiding the team for four years, Babar resigned as captain of the national team in all formats in November of last year. After Pakistan’s poor performance in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup, where they were unable to advance to the semi-finals, he faced criticism for several months.

Although Babar was named Test and white-ball captain in 2020 and 2019, respectively, the side has neither won an Asia Cup nor an ICC championship while he has been captain.

Continue Reading

Food

Two children died after consuming apples treated with pesticide.

Published

on

By

 four more children were ill and at least two toddlers died in Abbottabad on Thursday after consuming apples treated with pesticide.

The specifics include that as the children were traveling home from their studies at the madrassa, they ate sprayed apples from a garden. As a result, six of the children’s conditions worsened, and they were sent to a local hospital right away.

Four children were in serious condition and two died in the hospital while receiving treatment. Five-year-old Fanan and seven-year-old Hina Shehzadi were named as the deceased.

Continue Reading

Trending