KARACHI - City Mayor Wasim Akhtar said on Sunday that the plan of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to win the next general elections would remain a mere dream, as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) would clean-sweep all constituencies of the Sindh province by forging an electoral alliance with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

The city mayor expressed these views while talking to media men during a visit to District Korangi. The district chairman and other officials were also present on the occasion. The city mayor inaugurated a road in District Korangi and also attended a prize distribution ceremony at Iqra Qamar-ul-Atfal Secondary School in Korangi.

Criticising the PPP-led Sindh government, the city mayor said that provincial rulers were putting hurdles in his way and they were dreaming of winning the next general elections by taking advantage of this situation. He said that Sindh government’s recent move to distribute vehicles to local government representatives was a clear case of bribery. He said that local government representatives did not need vehicles; they wanted due rights so that they could provide relief to the masses. He said that fire tenders and machines for waste disposal should be handed over to him. He alleged that once again illegal hydrants had started working in the city with the support of Water Board officials. These hydrants will be demolished if no action is taken to close them down, he warned.

Separately, addressing an Earth Hour ceremony under the aegis of WWF at Frere Hall, the city mayor said that he would continue to work for the betterment of the city and the country despite having limited powers and resources. He said the entire world was focusing on a better environment, but in Karachi people were dying from suffocation caused by the burning solid waste.

MNA Raza Abidi, former provincial minister Khalid Umer and other officers and citizens in large numbers attended the Earth Hour ceremony. Lights were put off during the Earth Hour to express love for the Earth during the ceremony.

The city mayor said that cleanliness was mandatory for improvement in the environment. He said the city must be free of all garbage and waste. He asked the residents of Karachi to dump the waste packed in plastic bags at designated sites and keep their streets and roads clean.