Aslam Samoo President of the Peoples Labour Bureau Karachi Division and member of the City Labour Council, has come forward in strong support of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, defending his administration’s efforts toward employee welfare amidst recent protest calls.
In a detailed statement, Samoo emphasized that while the right to protest is a democratic and constitutional one, it must be exercised with honesty, truthfulness, and integrity. He questioned the motives of those now taking to the streets, urging them to reflect on their own track record when in power and to ask themselves what real measures they undertook for the welfare of employees.
Samoo lamented the past treatment of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) employees, who he said were often used merely for political purposes. They were forced to participate in rallies and party events, while their genuine problems—such as promotions, upgradations, and payment of dues—were routinely ignored. Decisions, he claimed, were made based on political loyalty rather than merit or need. According to him, this negligence left employees in a state of prolonged deprivation.
Contrasting the past with the present, Samoo said that Mayor Murtaza Wahab has been the first to genuinely prioritize employee welfare from the very start of his term. He praised Wahab for offering employment to the children of employees who lost their lives during service, through the deceased quota, calling it a historic and merit-based decision taken without regard to race, language, or political affiliation.
He further stated that 118 KMC employees were promoted purely on merit—promotions that had been stalled for years and previously used as tools of favoritism.
Samoo also noted that a significant milestone was achieved when, with unanimous support from all political parties, a resolution for the payment of dues to retired employees was passed and has already begun to be implemented. He added that, in line with this commitment, Mayor Wahab pushed through another major initiative—a resolution to upgrade nearly 8,000 employees from Grade 1 to 4, a move that is expected to benefit thousands of families across Karachi.
According to Aslam Samoo, these are unprecedented steps that no former mayor even considered, let alone executed.
He accused some past mayors of discriminatory practices, particularly towards their own Urdu-speaking employees, by prioritizing political interests over fair treatment.
He asserted that now, when Mayor Wahab is addressing those historical injustices by initiating promotions, processing dues, and restoring dignity to KMC employees, it is those same former leaders who are attempting to mask their past failures by inciting protests.
Samoo revealed that Mayor Wahab has already sent a summary worth Rs. 1.75 billion to the Chief Minister of Sindh for further improving the process of clearing dues for retired employees. This, he said, proves that the current municipal leadership is not just making hollow promises but is committed to real, practical reforms. He stated that today’s KMC employees are working free from political pressure, are not forced into political gatherings, and now have open access to leadership for addressing their issues.
Responding to critics who lament a lack of authority, Samoo questioned why such limitations didn’t stop them from mismanaging the system in the past.
He criticized their inability to prioritize employees’ rights and questioned their role in pushing institutions like the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) into financial crises.
Concluding his statement, Aslam Samoo said the Pakistan Peoples Party and Mayor Murtaza Wahab have demonstrated through action that sincere intentions, a clear vision, and genuine public service can achieve a great deal even within limited resources. He rejected the politics of blame and emphasized that their mission is rooted in serving every community and resident of Karachi, regardless of ethnicity or language. “We are proud that we have regained employees’ trust through real action,” Samoo said, “and our struggle is not just for workers rights but for a fair, dignified, and people-centered local government system.”
