Karachi mayor defends Eid sanitation drive as Jamaat-e-Islami disputes claims

KARACHI: Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said the city’s post-Eidul Azha cleanup campaign delivered record results, while Jamaat-e-Islami rejected the assessment and said residents continued to face problems with uncollected waste and poor sanitary conditions during the holidays.

Speaking at a press conference on the Eid sanitation operation, Wahab said municipal authorities remained in the field throughout the exercise along with officials of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, elected representatives and sanitation workers. He said the campaign continued for five days, beginning with the Bohra community’s Eid and lasting until the fourth day of Eid observed by the Ahl-e-Hadith community.

According to figures cited by the mayor, 169,961 tonnes of offal and waste were moved to landfill and disposal sites at Jam Chakro, Gond Pass and the Sharafi Goth garbage transfer station. He said this total included 81,525 tonnes of sacrificial animal remains and 88,436 tonnes of garbage and animal waste. Wahab also said 9,293 tonnes of offal were collected on the first day of Eid, 27,750 tonnes on the second day, 35,508 tonnes on the third day and more than 8,968 tonnes on the fourth day.

The mayor said 99 collection points had been set up across Karachi’s towns for the operation. He added that 9,326 additional machines and pieces of equipment, including 341 large dumpers, were deployed, while more than 23,400 sanitation workers took part in the campaign. Wahab said all vehicles used in the drive were tracked through a centralised monitoring system.

He further said residents had access to a round-the-clock helpline and a mobile application to register complaints and request services. Of the 1,330 complaints received during the operation, about 90 per cent were resolved, he added. Wahab also praised sanitation staff for working in high temperatures during the cleanup effort.

Responding to criticism from opposition parties, especially Jamaat-e-Islami and MQM-P, Wahab said his political opponents continued to criticise the operation while remaining occupied with their own activities during Eid. Referring to remarks made by JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Eid day, the mayor questioned how the operation could be declared a failure before the cleanup process had run its course. He also maintained that this year’s campaign performed better than previous ones.

In a joint statement, JI’s elected union committee chairmen challenged the mayor’s claims and accused the city administration of using political messaging and publicity to mask weak performance. The party said Karachi residents kept reporting complaints about offal, garbage and unhygienic surroundings throughout the Eid holidays.

JI said visuals and reports showing heaps of waste in different parts of the city remained visible on television and social media until the fourth day of Eid. In the statement, the party asked: "If the arrangements were truly exemplary, why did residents across the city continue to complain?"

The party said Karachi’s civic problems were not limited to Eid, and pointed to continuing concerns including garbage buildup, damaged roads, sewerage breakdowns and water shortages. According to the statement, residents were no longer interested in official claims or publicity efforts and instead wanted practical improvement in municipal services. JI also accused the Sindh government and local government institutions of failing to address basic urban issues, saying the situation had increased public frustration.

The statement also took issue with the mayor’s remarks regarding welfare activities, saying charitable public service initiatives should not be mocked or turned into a political issue.