As a result of a high court order prohibiting the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) from collecting taxes through the city’s power service, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab announced his resignation from his position on Monday.
The resignation was announced shortly after the Sindh High Court (SHC) temporarily prohibited the KMC from collecting municipal taxes through power bills.
On August 6, 2021, Barrister Murtaza Wahab was chosen to lead the KMC.
“It would have been easier for me to ask the prime minister and the chief minister for finances, but I did not, as I believe the way of the law is the only option,” a dejected Wahab regretted the court judgement during a press conference.
“Everything has an answer in the Constitution and the law of the land.”
He claimed that the metropolitan corporation was permitted to levy taxes under the applicable statute.
Wahab continued, “When the city roads are under water, no one comes knocking on Waseem Akhtar or Naeem-ur-door, Rehman’s and the people ask me, the government, and the KMC for solutions.
He claimed that the metropolitan corporation was permitted to levy taxes in accordance with the applicable law.
Nobody knocks on the doors of Waseem Akhtar or Naeem-ur-Rehman when the city’s streets are under water. People have questions for the KMC, the government, and me, Wahab continued.
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He asserted that documents proved there was a 20% recovery rate under Waseem Akhtar. Where did the money go after that?
Wahab claimed that Waseem Akhtar had engaged a private contractor to collect the taxes, giving away the fact that there was widespread corruption during the previous mayor of the seaside city’s tenure. He claimed that after collecting Rs 200 million, they received Rs 40 million.
The administrator also insisted that he had clean hands and that he had to forgo his proper luxury in order to fight the corruption in the system.
“During the calamities, I was on the scene directly monitoring the repairs, rescue, and relief activities. During the COVID-19 outbreak, I was working while donning a mask. I have always made an effort to serve everyone impartially.”
Wahab claimed that his error was loving the KMC more than his pocket.
“There are forces at play here that prevent us from performing our duties effectively. Working in this city is challenging since everything is opposed.
The departing head of the nation’s financial centre claimed that his diabetes was deteriorating due to stress at work, which was having an adverse effect on his health. After this press conference, he declared that he would send his resignation to Chief Minister Sindh.