LARKANA: Leaders of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Peoples Party-Workers (PPP-W) warned on Wednesday that the parties would jointly launch ‘remove mayor, save Larkana’ campaign if he did not improve his performance and failed to make sanitary conditions better in the city.

PPP-W’s Moazzim Ali Abbasi and JUI-F Larkana emir Nasir Mehmood Soomro, along with chairmen of five union committees, said at a press conference at the Larkana Press Club that the mayor had completely failed to ensure provision of uninterrupted amenities to citizens.

They said the city’s sewerage system remained dysfunctional and almost all roads had become potholed. “We hear billions and trillions of rupees have been allocated for development works in the city but nobody knows where the huge funds have gone. Either they have been siphoned off or misappropriated,” they said.

They alleged that union committees with pro-PPP chairmen were receiving large amounts for development while those headed by opponents were ignored. The mayor should not act as a mayor of PPP only, he must treat everybody equally, they said.

They read out a list of the areas headed by PPP rivals, which they claimed were totally neglected in funds allocation and warned the mayor had until Feb 10 to address the city’s issues.

After the expiry of the deadline, they would stage a sit-in in front of his office after taking into confidence all stakeholders including nationalist parties, Larkana Shahri Ittehad and Larkana Awami Ittehad, they said.

Mr Soomro said that about three months ago the mayor Mohammad Aslam Shaikh had visited a JUI-F-run madressah to dissuade the party from holding a protest. He had disclosed during negotiations that he had saved Rs80 million which he intended to spend equally on all union committees, he said.

The mayor had now gone back on his word but they had video recording of that meeting and he could not deny what had said, he said.

UC chairmen Awais Abbasi, Changaiz Abro and others talked about dilapidated condition of roads and faulty sewerage and water supply system in the city.

They complained that in addition to the ruling party media too did not give ample coverage to nagging civic problems.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2018