KARACHI, May 16: The city council on Thursday witnessed its first physical brawl since its commencement in August-2001 when the members belonging to the Al-Khadim and Al-Khidmat groups traded accusations on each other.
The proceeding started at 4pm but were disturbed at the initial moment due to a protest demonstration outside the council hall by the general public and elected representatives of Lyari.
Though as per agenda about 10 draft resolutions were to be presented, a number of House members, including Muslim Pervaiz (UC Nazim from Gulberg Town) and Kafeel Jafri from Shaf Faisal Town, requested the convener to discuss the issue of water crisis in the House.
After speeches by the members, Razzaq Sanghani criticized the KWSB MD for not working enough to redress the water problem in the city. He said the City Nazim was not playing his role to overcome water crisis.
Sanghani’s speech was rebuked by members of the House belonging to the Al-Khidmat group, and a number of members from both sides got on their feet and started accusing each other.
It followed a pandemonium-like situation which ultimately led to a brawl between the members of the Al-Khadim and Al-Khidmat groups.
This is for the first time in about nine months that physical manhandling of the members was witnessed.
The House was suspended for about half an hour by Naib Nazim Tariq Hasan to defuse tension after which the council resumed discussion on water crisis in Karachi.
However, during the suspension period, a press conference was held by Al-Khadim’s Siddique Rathore, Razzaq Sanghani and Lyari Town Nazim Abdul Khaliq Juma who criticized the attitude of the Al-Khidmat group over the issue.
Abdul Khaliq Juma threatened to stage a pen-down strike by all elected representatives of the Lyari town if water supply to the area was not restored.
He said that there was no reason for them to stay in the office if they could not get water for residents of Lyari town.
Later, the leader of the Al-Khidmat group held a press conference in the city government secretariat building and deplored the unethical and irrelevant discussion by members of the other group.
The city council will meet again on Friday.—PPI