• JI says authorities complicit in water theft through ‘tanker mafia’
• Karachi is a city without ‘caretaker’, Muttahida says

KARACHI: As the city faces a worsening water crisis, opposition parties have criticised the Sindh government for its “failure” to restore proper supply to the affected areas.

On Tuesday, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) issued separate statements, highlighting the worsening situation and accusing the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of mismanagement and negligence.

Both parties demanded urgent action and transparency in water supply management and warned that public anger is growing amid continued neglect and suffering.

A JI delegation, led by its Karachi chief Monem Zafar, met with top officials of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), including CEO Ahmad Ali Khan and COO Asadullah Khan.

Expressing deep concern over the citywide water scarcity, the JI leader said the main water supply line has broken down repeatedly over the past few months, disrupting supply to over half the city and benefitting the so-called “tanker mafia.”

“Karachi’s residents are suffering in the scorching heat with not even a drop of water in their taps,” a party statement issued after the meeting quoted Mr Zafar as saying. He said that if the K-IV project, launched during the tenure of former city mayor Naimatullah Khan in 2005, had been completed on time, the city would not be facing such a dire crisis today.

The JI leader also demanded an immediate resolution of the crises, stating that residents are being forced to buy expensive water tankers while watching government hydrants supply tankers in broad daylight. He also accused the provincial government of colluding with tanker operators and “water thieves” and claimed that Karachi is not receiving its fair share of water.

“The PPP has ruled Sindh for 17 years with full control of the budget and city institutions, yet it has failed to complete even a single water project like K-IV,” he added.

Meanwhile, MQM-P’s lawmakers in a statement called Karachi a “city without a caretaker.” They criticised the dismal state of infrastructure, saying that roads are left dug up indefinitely under the guise of development.

“The K-IV project began with a few millions and has ballooned into a multibillion-rupee endeavour, yet not a single drop has reached Karachi’s citizens,” said the party statement.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2025