KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Tuesday announced a protest rally to the Sindh Assembly building on June 21 for the “rights of Karachi and Karachiites.”

Addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-i-Haq, the JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was a coalition partner of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the centre, yet Karachi was badly neglected in both the federal and provincial budgets.

Mr Zafar said that the budget allocated for the much-needed Greater Karachi Bulk Water Sup­ply Scheme, better known as the K-IV water supply project, was grossly inadequate and no new mega project had been launched for the megalopolis.

He said: “The mayor publicly complained that Islamabad was neglecting Karachi.”

“You can’t play on both sides of the wicket. On one hand, you are complaining against the federal government just for public consumption, and on the other, you are a key partner in the coalition. You can no longer fool the people. For the people of Karachi, you have hollow complaints and claims; for personal perks and privileges, you are with the government.”

He also lambasted the Muttahida Qaumi Move­ment-Pakistan (MQM-P) for seeking votes in the name of Karachi, enjoying all perks and privileges available in any government, yet failing to deliver for the city and its residents.

He said that both the PPP and the MQM were coalition partners with the PML-N at the centre, but the two parties never went beyond occasional statements for Karachi and its people. The two parties, he added, showed keen interest in ministries but not in development projects for Karachi. As a result, all such projects remained in limbo in the megacity.

The JI leader said that all the ruling parties had shown exemplary unity when it came to increasing the salaries of legislators by 180 per cent, and by 600pc for the chairman, deputy chairman of the Senate and the speaker of the National Assembly.

“The same coalition partners don’t change the status quo while the city faces crises in power, water, health and education,” he added.

He said the JI would continue its legal, constitutional and democratic struggle for the rights of Karachiites.

Mr Zafar said that a protest would be held outside the assembly building against the neglect of the megacity in the federal and provincial budgets.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2025