KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) on Saturday lashed out at the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government for “misusing a symbol of pride and cultural identity of Sindh” for what it called “extorting money” from the people of the metropolis in the name of new number plates with Ajrak design.

“Ajrak is a symbol of Sindhi pride and cultural identity. But if that symbol is being used as a tool to extort money from Karachi’s citizens, then isn’t that an insult to the very heritage it claims to celebrate?” asked senior MQM-P leader Dr Farooq Sattar.

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Speaking at a press conference, he criticised the recent enforcement drive that mandates the installation of new number plates on all vehicles registered in Sindh.

He expressed outrage at what he termed a “money-making scheme” and said: “There are around 6.5 million vehicles in Karachi alone, including four to 4.5 million motorcycles. Without any public consultation or transparency, the government suddenly launched these plates. And now, citizens are being fined or harassed for not having them.”

Farooq Sattar says Sindh govt should provide new number plates free of cost

According to Dr Sattar, thousands of traffic police officers from rural parts of Sindh have been deployed in Karachi in recent weeks. “Why have they been brought here? Their purpose is to exploit and loot Karachi’s residents. In rural Sindh, barely one per cent of vehicles carry these Ajrak plates, and there is no enforcement. But in Karachi, people are being stopped and fined every day. This is clear discrimination,” he alleged.

He argued that if the government truly believed in this initiative, it should provide the number plates free of cost.

“Don’t impose an additional financial burden on people already struggling with inflation, electricity bills, and unemployment. This is not governance; this is daylight robbery under the umbrella of cultural symbolism,” Dr Sattar said.

Joining the criticism, senior party leader and former federal minister Amin ul Haque echoed Dr Sattar’s sentiments, calling the campaign a targeted attempt to humiliate the people of Karachi.

“This government has always seen Karachi as a cash cow. The Ajrak plate drive is just the latest tactic in a long history of discrimination,” Mr Haque said.

Earlier, Dr Sattar also touched upon broader civic concerns, including a recent building collapse in Lyari.

“A dilapidated structure came down, and the survivors are left without any assistance. No emergency response, no rehabilitation. This is the condition of the country’s largest city. There are policies dating back 20 to 25 years regarding dangerous buildings, but no one implements them,” he said.

He further alleged that institutions like the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) are deeply complicit.

“They are part of this corrupt system. They approve unsafe buildings and then vanish when tragedy strikes,” he said.

The MQM-P leaders came up with a strong call for accountability and equitable governance in Karachi.

“We’re not against Sindh’s culture. We respect it. But don’t use culture as a weapon to suppress and extort Karachi,” said Dr Sattar, demanding the immediate suspension of the Ajrak plate campaign and an independent audit of related revenues.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025