KARACHI, Oct 24: Lauding the historic unity demonstrated by the nation in the wake of the worst-ever earthquake that hit northern Pakistan on October 8, the Jamaat-i-Islami, Sindh, on Monday called for more efforts towards bringing people of all provinces even closer to each other.

Addressing a press conference at the Quba Auditorium here, Amir of the JI Sindh Dr Mumtaz Memon, who is also President of the Al-Khidmat Foundation, Sindh, said that the people of Pakistan had shunned their differences over language, area, province, etc., and came to the rescue of their affected brethren as a one-nation.

This historic unity, he added, bewildered the ideological enemies of the country who tried to fan the ‘language divide’ in the volatile city of Karachi by trying to absolve the Urdu-speaking students from studying Sindhi language. “Due to the mercy of Allah and timely reaction by patriotic circles, this conspiracy was foiled.”

He urged the government to take immediate and effective steps for bringing the citizens speaking different languages even closer to each other so that such sensitive issues could not be raised in future.

Dr Memon said that like the whole nation, activists of JI and Al-Khidmat were taking part in relief work across the quake-affected areas. Financial assistance to the tune of over Rs160 million had already been provided to quake victims whereas 500 truckloads of relief goods had been sent to the affected areas, he pointed out, adding that the process was continuing.

He said that more than 10,000 volunteers, as well as about 100 doctors, mobilized by the JI and Al-Khidmat were busy serving quake victims.

He observed that although the government and army were also providing relief to the affected people, much more on their part was needed to be done keeping in view the magnitude of the disaster.

He asked the government to utilize all its resources for the early rehabilitation of the affected people.

In reply to a question regarding prevalent law and order in Sindh, Dr Memon said that the provincial government had miserably failed to deliver. He said that masses were still deprived of basic facilities, including clean drinking water, health and education. Unemployment was touching new heights and law and order was in shambles, he added.

In this regard, he cited the recent incidents of the kidnapping and killing of six villagers in Khairpur district and the killing of an Umerkot trader, Ram Maheshwari, for ransom. He said that the street crime in Karachi was also on the rise.

Other JI leaders, including Rashid Naseem, Hafiz Nasrullah Aziz and Mujahid Channa were present at the press conference.—PPI