Karachi: The Opposition in Sindh province of Pakistan has criticised the likely appointment of Murtaza Wahab, the incumbent adviser to province’s Chief Minister on Law and Environment, as the new administrator of Karachi.
The Pakistan Peoples’ Party’s (PPP) Sindh government sees no issue if Wahab or any other politician belonging to the ruling PPP assumes charge as the new Administrator of Karachi.
Wahab is likely to replace Laeeq Ahmed, a senior civil servant, as the new administrator of Karachi soon. Wahab, who also acts as the spokesman for the government, belongs to the PPP.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), the two main Opposition political parties in the province, both are opposing Wahab’s likely appointment.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, who represents PTI’s federal government in the province, said the appointment of would breach an understanding earlier reached between the concerned federal and provincial authorities on the issue.
A meeting earlier held at Sindh Governor House, with Prime Minister Imran Khan in chair, had decided that a person with non-political background would only be appointed as Karachi’s administrator, he said.
He said the same meeting had decided that the administrator’s appointment would only be made after consultations between the concerned federal and provincial authorities.
The Governor said that the likely appointment of Wahab was completely unacceptable to them.
MQM’s leader Amir Khan said that his likely appointment would only benefit the ruling party in the province.
He said the proposed appointment was meant to rig the forthcoming local government polls in the province.
The MQM leader also called for appointing a politically neutral person as the new administrator.
Wahab said that the provincial law did not bar appointment of a politician as the city’s administrator as that there was a precedent.
He said had been serving the city for the past three years. Wahab said that he was on a mission to resolve problems of Karachiand he would continue to do so.
