The newly-appointed administrator of Karachi, Iftikhar Shallwani held a first press conference at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) office on Wednesday after assuming office. He, however, walked out in the middle of his press conference when journalists put some harsh questions to him. Shallwani, former Karachi commissioner, took office on Tuesday. Speaking earlier, the administrator vowed to make Karachi a city of lights again. He said he is a professional civil servant and has nothing to do with politics, asking the media personnel present there to not pose any political question. He said he will fulfill the responsibility he has been entrusted with. “My duty is to make our city beautiful,” he maintained. He called for the media to highlight positive work to be undertaken by the civil authorities in the metropolis. “I have worked as the commissioner of the city for a long time and organised multiple big events such as the Pakistan Super League in the past,” the administrator said, adding that he aims to work for the city with similar zeal and zest. “The responsibility is big and I’m thankful to the authorities for trusting me with it,” Shallwani said. “I will fulfill all of them [responsibilities] as a professional civil servant and work for the betterment of the city.” Shallwani has served as the Karachi commissioner for almost two years. He was appointed as commissioner in October 2018. On August 25, 2020 he replaced Roshan Sheikh as the local government secretary. On Sept 7, Iftikhar Shallwani had called on Governor Imran Ismail at the Governor’s House. Speaking on the occasion, the governor had said the Karachi administrator was appointed with a consensus of all stakeholders.
