KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami’s Karachi chapter on Friday launched a three-day public referendum to identify problems of the business capital of the country and suggest solutions which the party believed would reflect the people’s desire about which direction the metropolis should take in future.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters Idara Noor-i-Haq, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rahman said despite repeated promises from both the federal and the provincial governments as well the elected local bodies, the suffering of Karachi’s people was increasing with each passing day.

He claimed that the parties which were at the helm of affairs — Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf — had deceived the people.

“One [MQM-P] at the local bodies only focused on corruption,” he claimed. “The other [PPP] which has been ruling Sindh for more than a decade has emerged as anti-Karachi party and the third [PTI] one which came with the slogan of ‘change’ has proved itself only as incompetent. The people of Karachi are well aware now that these parties and their agendas are only to serve their own interests. The public referendum will give hope and raise voice of Karachiites which is always suppressed.”

He said the JI was always open for dialogue with all segments of society regardless of their ideology and political background.

The party, he said, had opened doors for like-minded parties on the question of Karachi and it would go shoulder to shoulder with them to resolve the problems of the city.

“To achieve our target, academia, intellectuals, traders, workers, representatives of minorities, lawyers and civil society have been contacted and a joint Karachi referendum commission comprising representatives has been set up,” added the JI chief.

He said the issues of Karachi were never part of any political party’s agenda and it was the JI that highlighted them across the country.

The protests under the JI banner were held in Islamabad as well in cities of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said.

On the appeal of JI chief Senator Sirajul Haq ‘Karachi solidarity day’ was observed across the country on October 14 in the country, he added.

“The Jamaat has served the city in the past during tenures of mayors Abdul Sattar Afghani and Niamatullah Khan and we are determined to resolve Karachi’s problems,” he added.

“Every single road in Karachi and street in the city is running with overflowing gutters and people are deprived of potable water. Enough is enough. Now it’s time to do more than lip service.”

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2020