• Mayor claims KMC gave two plots to Al-Khidmat for ‘welfare purposes’ but JI built its headquarters
• Opposition leader Saifuddin rejects allegation, says he has all official records regarding ownership of Idara Noor-i-Haq
• House approves Rs948m for flyover at Garden intersection on Nishtar Road, passes 20 resolutions

KARACHI: A heated dispute over two Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) plots in Jamshed Quarters sparked a storm in the City Council on Friday with ruling and opposition members shouting slogans, confronting each other and at one point coming to blows.

The trouble began after Mayor Murtaza Wahab while chairing the session alleged that the KMC had given plots No. 503 and 504 to Al-Khidmat for “welfare purposes” but the land was subsequently used for Idara Noor-i-Haq, the Jamaat-i-Islami headquarters.

Opposition Leader Saifuddin Advocate challenged the claim, saying he possessed official records that could prove the mayor wrong.

The exchange quickly turned into a noisy confrontation with opposition members accusing the mayor of making a false statement while the PPP members responding with slogans. Several members gathered in front of the mayor’s dais as tensions rose and some lawmakers from the two sides came to blows.

During the scuffle, the clothes of PPP City Council member Hayat Khan, better known as Panchhi, were also torn.

Mayor Wahab left the chair during the uproar while members continued chanting slogans in the hall. He returned about 10 minutes later, after which the session resumed in a relatively calmer atmosphere.

The confrontation came during a debate over a resolution concerning the revival of the Nursing College at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital through an agreement with Vision College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.

Advocate Saifuddin objected to the proposal arguing that valuable KMC assets were increasingly being handed over to private organisations at what he described as “nominal compensation or rent”.

He questioned why the KMC was giving away its properties when the corporation itself needed resources, referring to the proposed arrangements involving the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Nursing College and other KMC properties.

Earlier, the meeting began in an orderly atmosphere with proceedings starting with the recitation of the Holy Quran and members from the treasury and opposition benches taking turns to speak on different resolutions.

After the uproar and the mayor’s departure from the House, the session resumed its proceedings in a relatively normal atmosphere after a few minutes, when Mayor Wahab returned to his chair.

The council also took up a resolution opposing the creation of new administrative units and provinces in Sindh. The resolution was passed by a majority vote. Jamaat-i-Islami members, however, did not support or oppose the resolution. A total of 24 resolutions were placed before the House. Ten were approved unanimously while 10 were passed by a majority vote. Three were referred to committees for further consideration and one was rejected unanimously. Among the resolutions approved unanimously was a proposal to allocate Rs10,000 twice a month as an imprest account for routine expenses of the Budget Section of the KMC Finance and Accounts Department.

The council also approved post-facto expenditure of Rs40.5 million for the development, repair and maintenance of 100 houses belonging to the Hindu community in UC-1 Chokhandi Ibrahim Hyderi, Malir.

It also approved Rs948.15 million under a PC-I for construction of a flyover at Garden Intersection on Nishtar Road.

Other unanimous approvals included recovery of an 86-acre plot in Orangi Township in accordance with the approved layout plan, issuance of standard operating procedures for the KMC Fire Brigade Department, an increase in stipends for doctors undergoing Fellow of College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS-II) and Member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (MCPS) training at the KMC hospitals and construction of the Airport Security Force Indoor Sports Complex.

Among the proposals approved by a majority vote was the implementation of an MoU with Vision College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences for the revival of the Nursing College at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The house also approved Rs36 million grant-in-aid for completion of Phase-I of Spencer Eye Hospital in favour of a not-for-profit organisation that had already spent Rs100m from its own resources.

The KMC council approved several resolutions with majority votes. These included Rs49.89m for repair and maintenance of the old building, roads and footpaths of the Director General Technical Services. It also approved Rs200m for development and rehabilitation works around mosques and their access routes for 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal.

Three proposals were sent to committees for further review, including land for a community centre in Orangi Township.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2026