Mayor of Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, today condemned the political point-scoring following the recent Gul Plaza incident, stating that such tragedies should be addressed with fact-based dialogue and practical actions rather than political maneuvering.
Speaking to media representatives, the Mayor expressed grief over the tragedy and lamented what he described as a lack of meaningful response from the federal government. He remarked that the Prime Minister should have visited the city to address the losses suffered by the affected traders and industrialists, who he noted contribute billions in taxes.
He stressed that whether an incident occurs in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, or Rawalpindi, it should be treated as a tragedy for the nation. The Mayor asserted that a “political tug-of-war” will not solve the city’s problems and called for collective efforts, warning that he will take action against any of his own staff found to be negligent.
The city”s top official made these comments after formally inaugurating the three-day 6th Annual Marigold Flower Show at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Frere Hall. The event, according to the Mayor, is part of a broader initiative to transform Karachi into a city of flowers and green spaces.
He outlined that enhancing the city”s beauty and improving the environment are top priorities for the administration, with work on urban forest and tree plantation projects progressing rapidly. He expressed a desire to organise similar flower exhibitions in all seven districts of Karachi.
The show features over one hundred thousand flowers and plants, including one hundred and twelve thousand marigolds cultivated at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) own nursery. The primary objective of the exhibition is to raise public awareness about the importance of plants and trees.
Mayor Wahab urged school administrations to educate children on the benefits of tree plantation and to collaborate with the KMC Parks Department in caring for plants. He noted seeing schoolchildren visiting the exhibition and emphasized that with care, these plants grow into mature trees within ten to twelve years, significantly improving the environment.
He specifically encouraged the plantation of neem, banyan, gulmohar, chikoo, almond, guava, and other seasonal varieties, assuring that the KMC would provide all necessary support to civil society and educational institutions.
Highlighting the historic Frere Hall, constructed in 1865, the Mayor pointed out that many of its trees are over fifty years old. He termed climate change and global warming as major challenges facing the environment today.
In his concluding remarks, Mayor Wahab congratulated the Parks Department team on successfully organising the event and distributed appreciation awards to officials for their outstanding services.