KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, campaigning for the upcoming local government elections, took the oath on Tuesday that they would transform Karachi into a peaceful and developed city.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, where a ‘daughter’, as the daughter of the city, administered the oath to the participants in the public meeting. The candidates fielded by the JI and the PTI under a seat-adjustment formula, including those for chairman and vice chairman of the local bodies institutions, pledged that after getting elected in the elections they would strive to restore the identity of the metropolis as the city of culture and decency, where mothers could send their children outside without any fear, and the traders and shopkeepers would not be haunted by extortion slips and where humans would not be burnt alive in factories.

On the occasion, a woman political worker, representing the mothers of the city, shared her concerns and urged the candidates to help mitigate the miseries of the city to help save the future of citizens.

Speaking on the occasion, Karachi JI chief Engr Naeem-ur-Rehman said the JI and PTI coalition manifested the aspiration of the people of Karachi and a good omen for their better future as the alliance had vowed to once again turn Karachi into ‘the city of lights’. The JI leader said that the two parties would jointly eliminate the sense of fear and bring about peace to the city.

Engr Naeem said if the city moved forward on the road to peace and progress, none could stop the country from development and progress. He asked the candidates to approach each voter in their respective UCs and convince them that Dec 5 was a golden opportunity to get rid of the oppression of the last 30 years.

Karachi PTI organiser Ali Zaidi on the occasion said the city had been bearing the brunt of lawlessness, corruption and injustice and now time had come to get rid of those curses.

The people of Karachi were cheated as their problems instead of being addressed had multiplied. He also demanded that the law enforcement agencies take action against miscreants without any political discrimination and the election commission take notice of violations of the code of conduct.

At the end of the ceremony, white balloons and pigeons were released as a token of peace for the city.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2015