Murtaza Wahab sworn in as Karachi mayor

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Murtaza Wahab, was sworn in as the Mayor of Karachi earlier today, following a victory over Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman in the mayoral elections.

The oath was administered by Provincial Election Commissioner Sindh, Ejaz Anwar Chohan.

Subsequently, Salman Abdullah, Wahab’s deputy, also took his oath of office. The mayoral elections, held on June 15, saw Wahab secure 173 votes, outpacing JI’s Karachi chief who received 160 votes. The deputy mayor elections mirrored this result, with PPP’s Salman Abdullah winning the seat and JI’s Saifuddin Saif finishing second.

The election results sparked controversy, with JI alleging that the PPP and Sindh administration used force and financial influence to secure their candidates’ victories, a claim vehemently denied by PPP leaders, including Wahab. Tensions escalated as PPP and JI workers clashed outside the Arts Council, the polling station for the mayoral election.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, and various ministers and advisers.

Born in Karachi on December 25, 1983, the newly-elected Mayor Murtaza Wahab is the son of PPP’s late Fauzia Wahab. He is a lawyer by profession with a political career including a stint as an advisor on law from May 2015 to November 2016, and a term as senator from August 2017 to March 2018. He has also held portfolios in Anti-Corruption Establishment, environment, climate change, coastal development, and information. In 2021, he served as the administrator of Karachi, legal advisor, and spokesperson of the Sindh government.