KARACHI, Oct 3: Niamatullah Khan’s re-nomination for the slot of city nazim on Monday was endorsed by the Insan Dost group of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Al-Khadim group of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan.
An independent candidate, Rizwan Khanzada, also announced his retirement in his favour and assured that his entire group would extend full support to the consensus candidate of the Tameer-i-Karachi Ittehad (TKI).
Qari Muhammad Usman of the JUI-F, Hashim Siddiqui of the JUP and Rizwan Khanzada made their decision public during a press conference at the Idara Noor-i-Haq, which was addressed by former city nazim Niamatullah Khan.
Others present on the occasion were Shahi Syed of the ANP, Maulana Abdul Karim Abid of the JUI-F, Rashid Rabbani and Rafique Engineer of the PPP, and Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui and Nasrullah Shajji of the JI.
Flanked by the TKI candidate for naib nazim, Saeed Ghani, Mr Niamat also presented his vision 2010 to turn Karachi in his next tenure into a developed city of the Muslim world.
Niamat accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of indulging in pre-poll rigging to repeat the episode of August 18 to get desired results.
Despite use of coercive methods by the MQM through TPOs and SHOs of forcing councillors to get its nazim elected, Mr Khan said he could say with full confidence that he had support of enough councillors to win the election.
Recalling some details of pre-rigging, he said besides hurling threats and indulging in abduction, the NIC cards and the ID cards issued by the Election Commission to councillors were being taken into possession by the MQM.
“Those councillors who refused to handover them (MQM) their cards were being threatened of being implicated in serious cases,” he said.
While other councillors were asked either to bring back ballot papers or carry camera-fitted cellphones and take photos as proof that they had cast their votes in the favour of MQM candidates or face the consequences.
In this connection, he said that three women councillors from Lyari were forcibly taken to the MQM headquarters, Nine-Zero, where they were presented before reporters and a statement got in their favour.
He said polling stations were being shifted from main roads to sidelines near sector offices at the behest of the MQM. So far, 10 polling stations had been changed various towns, he added.
He also asked the election commission to direct the IG Police to stop holding press conferences of harassed councillors like that of Ramazan Natha, in which he had announced to cast his vote for the MQM.
The former city nazim appealed to the people of Karachi to gather outside polling stations in the city on Oct 6 to foil any MQM attempts of change the mandate.
VISION 2010: Presenting his Vision 2010, he said, “We will introduce a city surveillance system to provide protection to people, give them easy access to Justice by constituting mohalla peace committees and reconciliation committees at UC levels,” he said.
“We have planned to create 100,000 jobs; 14,000 in the health and education sectors, 40,000 in cottage industries and agro-farming, 5,000 in mass transit project and others by initiating development projects,” he said.
Existing coaches and minibuses would be replaced with large CNG buses having Euro-2 engines.
He maintained that establishment of 48 flyovers and underpasses, 10 vertical car-parking plazas, inter-city bus terminals, tramway system, construction of elevated road on Sharea Faisal, Malir Expressway on Malir River, Qasba tunnel, and Southern Bypass were some of the projects on his agenda for the next tenure.
A 3,000-acre agro-farming estate had also been planned for provision of meat, chicken, milk and other products to citizens on subsidized rates.
The existing water supply and sewerage systems would be replaced completely, he said.
“Low-cost housing schemes would be started in the city. Five housing schemes would be initiated immediately after he assumes office of city nazim,” he said.
Two new industrial zones, 18 new hospitals, 50 new colleges, 18 model libraries, two women varsities would be set up and outstanding students would be given scholarships.
KARACHI, Oct 3: Niamatullah Khan’s re-nomination for the slot of city nazim on Monday was endorsed by the Insan Dost group of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Al-Khadim group of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan.
