Murtaza Wahab is a Pakistani politician who is the current Mayor of Karachi since 2023. He belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and has been a member of the Senate of Pakistan and an adviser to the Chief Minister of Sindh on various portfolios. He is also the son of the late Fauzia Wahab, a prominent PPP leader and former information secretary.
Wahab was elected as the Mayor of Karachi on June 15, 2023, after defeating Hafiz Naeemur Rehman of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) by a narrow margin of 12 votes. He is the first PPP mayor of Karachi and the successor of Wasim Akhtar of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Wahab has vowed to work for the betterment of Karachi and to take the entire city forward, working with all stakeholders, political and administrative.
Wahab has a background in law and commerce. He graduated from the University of Karachi and then pursued an LLB from the University of London and Bar at Law from Lincoln’s Inn. He became an advocate of the Sindh High Court in 2010. He joined politics in 2015 and became an adviser to the Chief Minister on law. He was elected unopposed to the Senate in 2017 but lost his seat in 2018. He also contested for the provincial assembly seat from Karachi South-V but lost to Imran Ismail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Wahab has faced several legal challenges in his political career. In 2016, the Sindh High Court declared his appointment as adviser to the Chief Minister as illegal and nullified his chairmanship of the Board of Governors of law colleges in Karachi. In 2022, he tried to resign as the Administrator of Karachi after the court stopped the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) from collecting tax on electric bills, but his resignation was not accepted by the Sindh government.
Wahab is known for his outspokenness and his criticism of the federal government and its policies. He has also been vocal about the issues faced by Karachi and its citizens, such as water scarcity, garbage disposal, transport, and security. He has expressed his support for local government empowerment and devolution of power to lower tiers. He has also advocated for more funds and resources for Karachi from the federal and provincial governments.
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