Karachi: Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, while speaking to the media, made a satirical comment on the situation in Punjab, saying that if he spoke openly on Punjab’s affairs, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz would be displeased.
Addressing a ceremony in Karachi, he also announced that free laboratory services will be launched within the next two months at the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, where all tests will be conducted free of cost. He said this initiative was a step towards providing better healthcare facilities to citizens.
The mayor expressed strong reservations over the Rs. 20 billion package announced by the Prime Minister for Karachi. He said, “For a city as large as Karachi, this amount is nothing more than a lollipop. Even if Rs. 200 billion were spent, it would still not be enough.” He added that forming a company alone was not sufficient and that the federal government must ensure Karachi receives its due rights.
Wahab further stated that while Punjab has motorways, Karachi — despite being home to ports — continues to be deprived of basic facilities. He emphasized, “We need more than electric buses; we need real improvements in the lives of our citizens.”
Commenting on Punjab, Wahab said Maryam Nawaz was correct in highlighting issues related to water and canals, as the people of Punjab are indeed facing severe hardships. However, he sarcastically remarked that if he openly spoke about Punjab, “Maryam Bibi would get upset.”
Concluding his remarks, the mayor said that a review of the last 15 years of the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) would clearly show how Karachi has consistently been neglected and denied its rightful status.
