KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Thursday launched a clean-up drive across the city with its senior leaders accusing the government of hindering the opposition party’s initiative in an attempt to frustrate it.
MQM legislators joined in with party workers in the disposal of garbage and whitewashing of walls along main roads on a day when two more leaders Wasim Aftab and Iftikhar Alam parted ways with the party. In the first phase, the drive was launched in Union Council 10 of Karachi East district, UCs 18 and 21 of Karachi Central, 16, 17 and 28 of Karachi West, 1 and 6 of Korangi, 25 of Karachi South, Kala Board UC in Malir and other parts of the city.
The drive was led by MQM’s nominated mayor Wasim Akhtar in Karachi East, deputy mayor Rehan Hashmi in Central district, Dr Farooq Sattar in South district, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi in the Orangi area of Karachi West and Rauf Siddiqui in Malir.
In a statement issued later in the evening, the MQM claimed to have removed garbage and trash from all the specified areas. It added that during the “Clean Karachi” drive, all trash in the six districts of the metropolis would be removed within the next few days.
The party claimed that the drive received tremendous response from students, senior citizens, the business community, professionals as people from all walks of life took part in the campaign. MQM leaders said they believed the government made every attempt to fail their clean-up campaign. “It’s so unfortunate that the drive which has received tremendous response from the people of Karachi has not impressed the Sindh government to come forward and cooperate to clean the city,” said Dr Farooq Sattar at a press conference in the Kharadar area where he joined party workers to launch the drive.
“They have not provided even a single vehicle or machinery to facilitate the drive. We hired the vehicles on our own and initiated the campaign in this area from Wazir Mansion — the birthplace of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The garbage outside the birthplace of the Father of the Nation is humiliation for those who have turned this city into a garbage dump. We want to tell the authorities that we are here with the power and cooperation of people. With their support we will make this drive successful and within the next few days, you will see clean and green Karachi.”
Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2016
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