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Murtaza Wahab resigns as Karachi administrator

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  • Murtaza Wahab announces resignation after SHC restricts KMC from collecting taxes through KE.
  • Wahab was appointed KMC administrator on August 6, 2021.
  • Says he would send his resignation to Chief Minister Sindh.

KARACHI: Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab Monday announced his resignation from office after a high court restricted the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) from collecting taxes through the city’s power utility.

The announcement to quit came on the heels of a Sindh High Court ruling (SHC) that temporarily barred the KMC from gathering municipal taxes through electricity bills.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab was appointed KMC administrator on August 6, 2021.

Addressing a press conference, a dismayed Wahab lamented the court decision and said: “It would have been easier for me to ask the prime minister and the chief minister for funds, but I did not, as I believe the way of the law is the only solution.”

“The Constitution and the law of the land have a solution for everything.”

He said as per the relevant law, the metropolitan corporation was authorised to impose taxes.

“When the city roads are submerged, nobody knocks on Waseem Akhtar or Naeem-ur-Rehman’s door, and the citizens question me, the government, and the KMC for answers,” Wahab added. 

He said as per the relevant law the metropolitan corporation was authorised to impose taxes.

“When the city roads are submerged, nobody knocks on Waseem Akhtar or Naeem-ur-Rehman’s door. People question me, the government, and the KMC,” Wahab added.

He claimed papers showed the recovery rate during Waseem Akhtar’s time was only 20 %. “Where was the money going then?”

Hinting at the rampant corruption during the time of the former mayor of the coastal city, Wahab said Waseem Akhtar had hired a private contractor to collect the taxes. “Once they collected Rs200 million and were given Rs40 million,” he alleged.

The administrator also claimed his hands were clean and asserted he fought the dirt in the system at the cost of his rightful comfort.

“I was out in the field during the disasters supervising the repairs, rescue, and relief work personally. I was working while wearing a mask during the COVID-19 outbreak. I always tried to serve people indiscriminately without any bias.”

Wahab said his mistake was that instead of his pocket, he loved the KMC.

“There are forces at work here that doesn’t let us do our job efficiently. It’s not easy to work in this city as everything is resisted here.”

The outgoing administrator of the country’s financial hub said he had diabetes and the work-related stress was worsening it, which was taking a toll on his health.

He said he would send his resignation to Chief Minister Sindh after this press conference. 

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FO admits that a boat capsized in Greece, killing four Pakistanis.

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The deaths of four Pakistanis in a boat capsizing event close to the southern Greek island of Goudos have been verified by the Foreign Office.

The incident happened on Sunday and at least five illegal immigrants drowned as a result. According to Greek Coast Guards, 39 people were rescued after the wooden boat overturned, but 40 more are still unaccounted for.

According to a Foreign Office spokeswoman, the four Pakistani nationals were among those killed in the catastrophe. In order to help the remaining Pakistanis and repatriate the corpses of the deceased, the Pakistani Embassy in Athens has been in close communication with Greek authorities, she said.

Additional information was given by Aamir Aftab Qureshi, Pakistan’s ambassador to Greece, during a press conference. According to him, there were 80 Pakistanis on board the doomed boat, and efforts are still being made to find the people who are still missing.

He added that the overcrowding on the boat was a factor in the capsizing. There are worries over the safety of the missing people because a sizable portion of them are children. He stated that five boats carrying Pakistani nationals were traveling illegally from Libya.

The public was also informed by Ambassador Qureshi that the government will pay for the return flight of the accident victims’ bodies.

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Every office will have a biometric system installed by Lesco.

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system in each office.

Details show that the LESCO had ordered the installation of biometric systems in all offices, including the divisions and the circle.

The installation of the biometric system at the headquarters resulted in an increase in attendance, as the LESCO CEO had stated.

The CEO of LESCO claimed that the biometric system has resolved the issues related to the fictitious overtime and off-days.

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Around 450 Pakistanis have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to a briefing from the Foreign Office.

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Approximately 450 Pakistanis, including 250 Zaireen, have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

During her weekly briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, she stated that Pakistan is pleased with the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on the Gaza Strip, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.

In addition, she expressed her satisfaction with the elimination of limits placed on UNRWA’s ability to carry out relief activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

It was stated by her that Pakistan is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Palestine, an end to the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for those who are in urgent need, full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its mandated humanitarian activities, and medical assistance for those who are in urgent need.

Moreover, she stated that Pakistan emphasises the need for the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed in occupied lands.

The Israeli aggression against Syria, the illegitimate acquisition of Syrian territory, and the massive devastation of Syrian infrastructure as well as civilian and military sites are all topics that Pakistan is extremely worried about, according to the spokesperson for Pakistan.

According to her, this attack on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious violation of international law to the highest degree. By expressing our support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are also expressing our opposition to the Israeli government’s attempt to acquire territory through coercion.

The resolution 497 of the United Nations Security Council, which declares the annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel to be null and illegal and to have no international legal impact, was reaffirmed by her organisation.

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