Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Saturday inaugurated the Landhi Sports Complex after 30 years.
Officials said the inauguration ceremony was attended by Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, Pakistan Peoples (PPP) Party Parliamentary Leader in Karachi Metropolitan Corporation City Council Karamullah Waqasi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader Dil Muhammad, elected representatives and others.
Addressing the ceremony, Wahab said the people of Landhi and Korangi had been deliberately deprived of basic facilities in the past, but now their condition was being improved.
He said the primary responsibility of any municipal government was to address the citizens’ problems, but Karachi’s conditions were intentionally made worse over the past 30 to 40 years. He added that many tenures came after 1993, yet the issues remained unresolved, whereas the current administration is taking practical steps for their resolution.
The mayor explained that the swimming pool at the sports complex had been upgraded to modern standards, and membership would be offered at affordable rates so that more citizens could benefit from the facility. He said that in Baldia Town, PPP representatives were constructing a new sports complex on 25 acres.
He emphasised that the PPP believed in the rule of law and all development work was being carried out accordingly. Rejecting negative propaganda regarding the Hub Canal, he said a request had been submitted to the federal government to increase Karachi’s water share, and urged the public to pay less attention to rumours.
Wahab remarked that the position of the Sindh governor had been given to a senior worker of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
He announced that considering the historical importance of the Empress Market, memorials for martyrs would be established there whereas the historical globe in front of the Islamia College would be preserved and relocated to Hassan Square. He appealed to the public to provide guidance regarding any historical monuments so the city administration could preserve them.
The mayor said he was often targeted because he belonged to the PPP. He remarked that many other leaders also ruled the city for long periods but failed to resolve its issues.
He said that all political forces must work together for the city’s development.
