KARACHI, June 2: Protesters at a big rally taken out here on Friday urged the government to review its policies which, they said, were discriminatory against Pakhtoon and Sindhi people.
The protest rally, organised by the Pakhtoon Action Committee (Loya Jirga) on Friday, turned out to be a show of strength as it was attended by a large number of public transport drivers and activists of almost all mainstream opposition parties, mainly the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party and the Awami National Party.
Waving flags of their respective political parties and groups, the protesters started their march from Lasbella Chowk and converged on the Karachi Press Club. Riding buses, minibus, rickshaws and taxis, the protesters kept raising slogans all the way against the demolition of katchi abadis, threat to their livelihood from the government’s campaign against old vehicles, and the admission policy, which they claimed was discriminatory against Pakhtoons.
Leaders of the Loya Jirga made hard-hitting speeches at a sit-in outside the KPC, demanding that the federal government must rein in ‘extortionists in the government’ and ask them to desist from razing settlements and villages of poor people. They warned that if any attempt to dislodge Pakhtoons from Karachi was made, it would meet stiff resistance as Pakhtoons. They said that Pakhtoons had contributed heavily towards turning a tiny city into a mega city.
PAC chief Shahi Syed, in his brief speech, said that by organising this peaceful rally, Pakhtoons had proved that they were peace-loving and law-abiding people. However, he said, Pakhtoons would resist tooth and nail any unilateral decision that was aimed at depriving people of their livelihood or shelter. He said all people living in katchi abadis, whatever language they spoke, were oppressed segments of society, adding that the committee would extend all support to them and make all out effort to protect them.
Shahi Syed stressed on a negotiated solution to the problem arising out of the government’s moves against poor people.
He warned that if the government did not meet the committee’s demands, sit-ins would be staged. “We would not even hesitate to gherao the Governor’s House and the CM’s House,” he vowed.
Repeating the committee’s demands, he said demolition of goths, villages and katchi abadis be stopped, the families affected by the razing of such settlements be paid compensation and alternative residential plots, action be taken against the officials responsible for raising illegal settlements, transporters’ representatives be taken into confidence with regard to any action against drivers and their vehicles, and a new ‘transport act’ be framed in the light of transporters’ proposals.
Shahi Syed said the PAC would meet on Sunday to decide its future course of action.
Addressing the protesters, Amin Khattak of the ANP said that the city government had been pursuing the policies that appeared to be discriminatory against Pakhtoons and Sindhis. He claimed that while the settlements of Pakhtoons and Sindhis were being uprooted while those of others were being overlooked.
Hakim Khan Mandokhel of Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami party demanded an end to the ‘victimisation of Pakhtoons’ and advised the government to review its policy.
Zafarullah Afridi, Hashim Mehsood and Hakem Khan Jadoon called upon the government to do away with its biased policies against transporters. He demanded that before imposing a ban on old vehicles and two-stroke rickshaws, the government must pay compensation and an alternative livelihood to their owners.
Israr Shah Miswani of the PML-N, Mohammad Ashraf of the PPP and Dwa Khan Sabir of the Tehrik-i-Insaaf said that the rulers would have to heed the calls being made at this mammoth rally and stop victimization of its political opponents.
KARACHI, June 2: Protesters at a big rally taken out here on Friday urged the government to review its policies which, they said, were discriminatory against Pakhtoon and Sindhi people.
