KARACHI: Newly-elected Mayor of Karachi, Waseem Akhtar, who is serving jail term on terrorism charges, has dared the federal government to “stop” him from running the metropolis from jail. “I dare the federal government to stop me from running my city, from jail. I will perform all my duties behind bars. I will outperform every mayor in the world,” a visibly angry Akhtar told Khabaristan Times. The Muttahida leader, who bagged 214 of the total 308 votes, thanked the citizens of Karachi for “once again expressing confidence in the party that was at the forefront during the struggle for independence”. “I want to thank each and every one of you. You see, MQM has a rich history when it comes to struggle for freedom. My grandfather took part in the War of 1857. The rest is history.” When asked why he was so desperate to run Karachi from behind bars, the Karachi mayor said, “MQM has a policy of not following the orders of the centre and the provincial governments.” “You see, MQM supremo Altaf Hussain controls party affairs from his self-imposed prison in London. If Bhai can perform such an incredible feat then why can’t I?” Waseem Akhtar also told this scribe he plans to have a Batcave like structure built for him beneath the prison floor. “When I was young, I always wanted to fight crime like the Batman. Now I am the Mayor of Karachi.” “I’ll soon have a ‘Wascave’ built for me. I’ll control everything from there. I’ll be a silent guardian, a watchful protector,” said the Muttahida leader. This article originally appeared in Khabaristan Times and has been reproduced with permission