The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's council session on Tuesday ended abruptly after the passage of a single resolution, leaving the opposition angered by the action. With mayor Waseem Akhtar in the chair, the session started half-an-hour later that the scheduled timing. It lasted just five minutes after the adoption of a resolution seeking approval of the imprest account of the KMC's electrical and mechanical department with a majority vote.
The move was tabled by Saad Bin Jafar of UC-15, Korangi District and seconded by Nasir Taimori of UC-28, District South. The meeting had taken place two days after deputy mayor Arshad Vohra parted ways from the politically beleaguered MQM-P and joined Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) led by Syed Mustafa Kamal, charging the mayor with lacking "vision" and the capacity to lead.
As soon as the motion was passed, the mayor abruptly adjourned the session for an indefinite period. Then he left the floor, ignoring opposition members eager to have a debate on a set of issues, including budgetary allocations for development projects.
The mayor's departure sparked outrage, with opposition members standing up and tearing copies of the session and chanting slogans against the mayor and his party, the MQM, shouting insults: "Chor, chor, mayor chor!" Banners inscribed with slogans against the mayor and in favour of deputy mayor Vohra were displayed outside the Old KMC Buildings, with one charging the mayor with corruption.
The opposition leader in the council, Karamullah Waqasi of the Pakistan People's Party, parliamentary leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Junaid Mekati, and Firdous Shameem Naqvi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf were among many others condemning the abrupt adjournment of the session. "We wanted explanation from the mayor of the council's budgetary allocations for the city's development projects, but he did not bother to listen to us," Waqasi said.
"The mayor wants a one-man show," he said, "but we will not let that happen, we will make him accountable." He alleged that the KMC's funds are largely spent on construction of private buildings instead of on civic development. The opposition members threatened the mayor with a no-confidence motion if he continued to ignore their demands.
Contrary to expectations, the MQM has neither moved a no-confidence motion against deputy mayor Vohra nor discussed the issue on the floor of the house. A simple majority is needed to unseat the mayor or deputy mayor. At a press conference later, the mayor described the session as "routine" and with "a one-point agenda, and the proceedings were held accordingly." He dismissed the display of the posters against him as a device to attract the media's attention.
The mayor said: "Arshad Vohra has given intimation on a TV show of his resignation, and there is no need to bring a no-confidence motion. We will adopt the legal procedure if he does not tender his resignation." The mayor said that the absence of local authority has retarded the development of municipal relations between the citizens and the state.
The KMC city council comprises 308 members. MQM-Pakistan holds a majority in the council with its 205 members. The opposition has 100 members, including 42 members from the PPP, 27 from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, 14 from the Tehreek-e-Insaf, ten from the Jamaat-e-Islami, four from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur Rehman group) and three from the Awami National Party.
The issues raised could have been resolved if the Sindh government had transferred some departments and services to the KMC in exercise of powers conferred to the government by the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013.
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