KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami, Karachi, on Sunday extended its three-day ‘Karachi referendum’ to three more days keeping in view “citizens’ interest in voting for Karachi rights”.

JI Karachi leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said the decision to extend the time for voting was taken after consultation with chief of the referendum commission Anwer Mansoor Khan.

Speaking to the media at the party’s central referendum camp set up by its public aid committee near Char Minar Chowrangi in Bahadurabad, he announced that the referendum would now continue till Oct 21.

Criticising Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, he said that if PPP chairman was sincere with Karachi, why did not he announce annulment of the ‘repressive’ Local Body Act.

He asked PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz as to why she did not admit the “blunder of a 50 per cent reduction in Karachi’s population in the census”.

“If PTI is sincere with Karachi, why Prime Minister Imran Khan did not revoke the quota system in government jobs and also did not initiate a fresh population census in the city,” he questioned.

On the other hand, he observed, the MQM-P was also playing the role of a silent spectator on Karachi’s issues.

He said it was a matter of concern that the opposition had started holding public gatherings across the country, but not a single point regarding Karachi was present in their 26-point agenda.

“We are ready to go hand in hand with other political forces subject to their sincerity with Karachi and its people,” he said.

“Karachi referendum is not restricted to any party, but in fact this drive is the voice of Karachi citizens for their usurped rights,” observed Hafiz Naeem.

He appealed to the masses to come forward and bring their point of view and grievances on city issues before rulers, adding that both the [federal and Sindh] governments should understand that the time had come to give Karachi its rights.

Businessman Idrees Giggi said the business community was standing with the JI, and endorsed the referendum initiative.

Advocate Naeem Qureshi also expressed lawyers’ support to the JI and its initiative.

President of the public aid committee Advocate Saifuddin expressed the hope that people of Karachi would be no more humiliated.

Referendum commissioner Nazim F. Haji and secretary Najeeb Ayubi also spoke.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2020