‘Karachi: The Way Forward’ – The Administrator Karachi in conversation with the
Executive Director IBA
November 12, 2021: The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi organized a discourse on ‘Karachi:
The Way Forward’ by the Administrator Karachi, Mr. Murtaza Wahab, at the IBA City Campus. Attendees
included the IBA faculty, students and alumni, media, members from the academia, corporate sector and
diplomatic corps.
Mr. Wahab, Barrister by profession, has been associated with the Government of Sindh since 2015. He currently
serves as Advisor to the Chief Minister Sindh on Law and as Administrator Karachi.
Dr. Zaidi welcomed Mr. Wahab to the IBA and quizzed him on his strategy for solving the many administrative
and municipal affairs of the largest metropolis of Pakistan, Karachi.
Mr. Wahab thanked Dr. Zaidi for the opportunity to communicate with the future leaders of Pakistan. He briefed
the audience about his educational background abroad and mentioned that he decided to come back and serve his
city as he felt a sense of belonging and responsibility towards Karachi. As Advisor to the Chief Minister Sindh on
Law, Mr. Wahab facilitated in passing some integral legislations, including a legislation for recording Hindu
marriages in 2015-2016 (Sindh is the first province in Pakistan to introduce this Act) and in 2019, the Sindh
Government passed a law to establish the basic rights for the prisoners. Furthermore, he played an instrumental
role in developing the Sandspit road and Manora beach front.
Inquiring about Karachi’s urban flooding and debilitating road infrastructure in times of monsoon rains every year,
Dr. Zaidi inquired how the Sindh Government was planning to solve the problem. Dr. Zaidi also quizzed about
resolving the overall deteriorating municipal management issues, including broken roads and lack of cleanliness in
the city.
Elaborating the Sindh government’s strategy on maintaining the administrative and municipal affairs of the
metropolis, Mr. Wahab said that the Government of Sindh has developed urban spaces for the people of Karachi
among other projects. But due to the political polarization of the city, where 17 different agencies have control of
different administrative areas of Karachi, the Sindh Government’s hands are tied as it doesn’t have the sole control
of the city’s administration.
Discussing the city’s sanitation, Mr. Wahab said that garbage collection drives will be initiated in the 7 divisions
of the city, with the first one initiating in the worst effected Korangi District and within 2-3 months things will
improve on this front. He further said that the Sindh Government will be implementing a garbage plant to produce
power and electricity from the city’s waste.
