Summary Akhtar has called for unity among different political parties for development in Karachi
KARACHI (Dunya News) – Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Waseem Akhtar has taken oath as mayor of the city on Tuesday in a ceremony held in Polo Ground after he was shifted there from Central Jail.
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Commissioner Samiuddin Siddiqui administered oaths to the mayor of Karachi after around eight years along with Deputy Mayor, Arshad Vohra
Deputy Mayor of Karachi sworn in
Chief of the party in Pakistan Dr Farooq Sattar and Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Khawaja Izharul Hassan among others were present in the ceremony.
Waseem Akhtar was not allowed to pay a visit to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum after assuming post and was moved to prison.
In the elections held on August 24, Akhtar defeated Pakistan People’s Party’s Karamullah Waqasi candidate and was elected as mayor of the city.
Profile
Waseem Akhtar joined Muttahida Qaumi Movement in 1988 after being in Saudi Arabia for some ten years as an employee of a United States company.
After he returned, he established an electronics workshop in 1986. He contended elections on MQM’s ticket and was elected as the Member of Provincial Assembly for the first time in 1993.
On trial in Dr Asim case
Waseem Akhtar was shifted to Polo Ground today amid tight security from Central Jail as he was detained last month in capacity of an accused in terror case against former petroleum minister, Dr Asim Hussain.
Akhtar was shifted to the jail after his plea for extension in interim bail was rejected by an anti-terrorism court in the aforementioned case.
He was nominated in the case that was registered under terror charges in November last year at North Nazimabad Police Station. Pak Sarzameen Party’s Anees Qaimkhani, Pakistan People’s Party’s Abdul Qadir Patel and MQM’s Rauf Siddique were among the four detainees.
He has pleaded innocence in the case and while talking to the media after election as the mayor this month, he vowed to take care of the city and attend to the issues of the locals from within the jail.
He demanded the authorities to provide him with an office in the prison for the purpose.
‘Long live Bhutto, Imran Khan and Muttahida’
While addressing the gathering after he was sworn in today, Akhtar mentioned two political parties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan People’s Party, while calling for unity among all citing sole purpose of development in Karachi and the entire province.
Akhtar said, “I think I should raise a slogan myself so that everyone feels satisfied. Long live Muttahida (Muttahida Qaumi Movement), long live Bhutto (Pakistan People’s Party) and long live Imran Khan (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf).”
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He said that Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah was passionate about development in Sindh and was aware of the real issues that the city faced. He hoped that Karachi Metropolitan Corporation would be given fair amount of share of funds for development projects.
Entire Sindh would progress if Karachi prospers, he said adding that Pakistan People’s Party needs to clear misunderstands and both MQM and PPP should join hands in favour of the province.
He was administered oath today after around nine months of local government elections which was sad, according to him.
He hoped that he would get justice by the judicial system in the case being heard in anti-terrorism court. The coming four years would be dedicated to solve issues of the locals, Akhtar asserted.
The freshly appointed mayor said that MQM was a Pakistani political party and its survival was tied with stability in the country. None would be tolerated if cast an evil eye on Pakistan, he clarified.
Analysts have termed this statement a response from MQM s senior members to allegations of funding of the party from Indian intelligence agencies to spread unrest. A renegade of MQM, Pak Sarzameen Party s founder and former mayor of Karachi, Mustafa Kamal is stating ever since he returned from Dubai this year that Altaf Hussain receives funds from India and he has seen it all during his time as a party worker.
Before ending his speech, Waseem Akhtar thanked voters, workers and seat holders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement for their efforts in making his appointment as mayor possible.
MQM in turmoil
Akhtar’s victory in the mayoral election followed the biggest blow to MQM since it was founded, as its chief, Altaf Hussain was detached with the party after an anti-state speech earlier this month that led to a crackdown against its illegal offices and arrest of workers who vandalised media houses on his instructions.
MQM headquarters were sealed following the anti-state speech. Over 20 offices of the political party, built on pieces of land that were acquired illegally have been razed until today across Sindh.
Dr Farooq Sattar came to the fore right after the nation reacted to Altaf Hussain s speech and is now leading the party while another prominent face of the party, Dr Amir Liaquat quit his political career a day after he spent a night in Rangers custody.
Posters and banners of Altaf Hussain were wiped out at Mukka Chowk in Karachi among other localities. Such incidents were also seen in Hyderabad and other cities.
Altaf Hussain has been living in self-imposed exile in London for over two decades.
