Why Mayor Murtaza Wahab stick to his office, despite criticism over Karachi’s bad governance?
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab is facing severe criticism and demands for his resignation after the horrific fire that broke out in Karachi’s famous commercial center, Gul Plaza, and the resulting loss of life and property.
Opposition parties, especially Jamaat-e-Islami and MQM-Pakistan, have leveled serious allegations of criminal negligence and failure in the city’s security system against the mayor.
Opponents allege that the Mayor of Karachi and the Sindh government have completely failed to enforce fire safety laws in buildings, due to which 28 people have died and dozens have gone missing in incidents like Gul Plaza so far.
The opposition says that the mayor is only focusing on ‘show projects’ while the city’s infrastructure and rescue agencies are in disrepair. He is also being called the “murder mayor” after a young child fell into a sewer and died recently. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has faced several serious allegations from opposition parties (Jamaat-e-Islami and MQM) and civil society in recent months.
Transparency International Pakistan has identified violations of the Sindh Public Procurement Rules in several KMC projects. In particular, questions have been raised over the transparency of contracts for the construction of a storm drain from M-9 to Tadu Nallah and smart digital parking. Opposition leader Saifuddin Advocate has alleged that the Mayor of Karachi is releasing development funds only to those Union Councils (UCs) where PPP chairmen have been elected, while opposition areas are being deliberately ignored.
Although the mayor announced the closure of hydrants in January 2026, critics allege that the “tanker mafia” has extorted billions of rupees from citizens in the last two years, allegedly with the patronage of municipal authorities. A special package of Rs 9.5 billion was released in late 2025 to repair Karachi’s roads, but within a few months, the roads collapsed again. The opposition called it a “major corruption scheme” and demanded a third-party audit.
In September 2025, allegations of nepotism emerged in the selection of consultants for the design and supervision of roads, bridges, and flyovers, on which Transparency International also wrote letters to the mayor. Despite all these demands, Murtaza Wahab has flatly refused to resign. He claimed that he is fulfilling the development agenda of the PPP, and he will not give up the public mandate under any pressure.
He has formed a so-called high-level committee to investigate the Gul Plaza tragedy, and he says that instead of running away, he wants to identify those responsible and punish them, but he actually does not feel ashamed to manage these things during his tenure. Murtaza Wahab calls these demands “political hypocrisy” and claims that the opposing parties are afraid of the development of the city.
When the mayor reached the affected area yesterday, the citizens shouted slogans against him. However, Murtaza Wahab says that he understands the people’s suffering but will continue to work.
Read also: Another minor victim of open sewerage manhole laid to rest in Karachi
