KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan have destroyed Karachi while the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf over the past 30 months did nothing for the city, said Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.

He was addressing participants in a protest rally organised for ‘Karachi’s rights’ near Nursery on Sharea Faisal.

The JI leader said if the MQM had reservations over Karachi’s population census results, why the party did not separate from the government?

He claimed that even the Pak-Sarzameen Party remained ‘silent’ on the issue as well.

He said that the PPP had been ruling Sindh since past 14 years, but did not give due rights to Karachi while the MQM on the other hand only gave ‘false promises’ to the citizens.

“The rulers are not sincere in reducing problems of the people. The city roads are broken with overflowing gutters and heaps of trash are visible everywhere. There is no proper facility of public transport available to the people,” he added.

‘The rulers are not sincere in reducing people’s problems’

He said that all ruling parties were united on K-Electric issue and had never talked on its performance while on the other hand people were deprived of all civic facilities. Even public playgrounds were not available for youths in the city, he added.

He said no one at the helm of affairs was ready to talk about inflation and even female students having Karachi domicile were not provided admissions to medical colleges but girl students from other areas were provided admissions.

“We ask Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah does he really consider Karachi as a part of Sindh or not and we firmly say here we are not biased in our thinking or deeds and we talk for everybody’s rights in Sindh,” Hafiz Naeem added.

Former city nazim Niamatullah Khan, who belonged to the JI, completed Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme (K-III) but later city nazim Mustafa Kamal did not continue the next phase of the scheme K-IV. Resultantly people of Karachi were deprived of potable water, he said.

He announced that a sit-in would be staged in district Central on Saturday and a protest demonstration in front of Aladdin Park would be held on Sunday.

JI leader Advocate Saifuddin said there was not a single government office in Karachi that could provide relief to people and they had no option except to come on the streets for their rights.

JI leader Junaid Mukati said that Karachi paid revenue of Rs2,600 billion annually, but people were still looking for civic facilities like potable water and regular power supply, public transport and other civic necessities.

JI Karachi youth president Hashim Yousuf Abdali also addressed the participants.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2021