KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) of ruining the city and planning the same through the next election with different strategies.

He was addressing a reception hosted by RJ Mall Action Committee late on Saturday in his honor in recognition of the rescue, relief and rehabilitation services by the Alkhidmat and Jamaat.

The JI leader stressed the need for a just and honest local government in order to avoid such infernos and tragedies.

Lambasting the PPP and the MQM-P regimes over corruption and incompetency, he said the two parties had ruined Karachi in the past four decades.

He also talked about the issue of multiple fire incidents in the metropolis.

He said that as per international standards, a fire station was needed for a population of one hundred thousand individuals.

But a total of 28 fire stations were available in Karachi for a population of over 35 million people, he added.

He said the previous ruling regimes did not pay any heed to the fire department as they had nothing to do with Karachi and their sole focus was on plundering the resources of the city.

He alleged that the PPP had stolen the mandate of Karachi and Karachiites. As a result, he said, the party had badly exposed itself during the process.

He said there was no future of the PPP and there was no chance for Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to become the premier.

The days of dynastic politics had been numbered in Karachi, he added.

On the occasion, the JI leader visited the mall in detail and interacted with shopkeepers and other affected people.

Published in Dawn, january 1st, 2024