Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on the defensive; no-confidence motion gathers pace

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami has accelerated efforts to unseat Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, turning a political campaign into a formal no-confidence drive that is now gaining traction inside the city council.

The opposition push has intensified in the aftermath of the Gul Plaza disaster, which claimed nearly 80 lives and triggered widespread anger over governance and safety lapses. JI leader Advocate Saifuddin said the tragedy exposed what he described as chronic administrative failures by both the mayor and the Sindh government, warranting political accountability.

As part of its campaign, JI has distanced itself from the official inquiry into the incident, dismissing the report compiled under the Karachi commissioner as lacking credibility. Saifuddin questioned how officials accused of negligence could oversee a fair investigation.

The mayor’s absence from Karachi during the days following the tragedy has also become a focal point of criticism. According to Saifuddin, Wahab was attending official engagements in Islamabad while the city was mourning, a move the opposition says underscored a disconnect between the administration and public suffering.

Organisationally, JI has begun consolidating support within the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). Sources said an emergency session of the party’s women councillors was held at the opposition office, where 29 members signed the no-confidence proposal in the first phase, according to a news report by Express Tribune.

The party is now preparing to broaden its outreach. A meeting of JI’s parliamentary group is scheduled for February 5 at Idara Noor-e-Haq to finalise the next steps. JI leaders claim the backing of all 127 of their council members and confirm ongoing contacts with PTI, PML-N and JUI to build a cross-party front.

Although the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 does not stipulate a minimum number of signatures for submitting a no-confidence motion, opposition leaders say they aim to present the move with maximum numerical strength to ensure smooth passage.

The city council comprises 61 PTI members, 14 from PML-N, four from JUI and two from TLP. If these parties align with JI, the opposition would have sufficient numbers to remove the mayor and trigger a fresh election.

Under the law, Murtaza Wahab would be barred from contesting a subsequent mayoral poll if the motion succeeds. JI sources said the no-confidence move is expected to be formally tabled between February 8 and 10, adding that there are no plans to initiate a similar action against the deputy mayor.

Meanwhile, public criticism of both the Sindh and city governments continues to mount over the Gul Plaza fire, with calls for the mayor’s resignation growing louder and political tensions sharpening between the ruling PPP and opposition parties, including MQM-P.