KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chief Senator Sirajul Haq on Sunday said that Karachi has been a story of grave negligence from Liaquat Ali Khan’s government to the incumbent government of Imran Khan, and announced that his party will mark the October 14 as ‘Karachi Solidarity Day’ all over the country.
Addressing his party’s Karachi rights March (Huqooq-e-Karachi March) held at Shahra-e-Quaideen, the JI chief called for an empowered local bodies system, transparent recount of population of the port city, provision of livelihoods to the jobless youth, end to the decades-old demoralizing quota system in Sindh, and cancellation of K-Electric’s license for its ‘failure’ to ensure reasonable power supply to Karachiites.
He said that Karachi, which is the mini Pakistan, has been facing chronic issues ranging from ill-maintained civic infrastructure to scarcity of drinking water, from prolonged loadshedding to poor education & healthcare system and to dysfunctional local bodies system.
From Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan to Imran Khan, none of the governments has bothered themselves to give Karachi its due rights, despite the fact that Karachi feeds the whole country. Unemployment, inflation, and poverty have become the hallmark of the PTI government which came into power with a ‘flawed’ slogan of ‘Change’ and ‘Naya Pakistan, he maintained.
The JI chief alleged that the sugar land mafias are operating with impunity in PTI’s ‘corruption free Pakistan’. He said a robust economy, durable peace, and “Karachiites have doubts in the census results, and recount is a must.” Siraj said.
Journalists often ask me question as to why the JI can’t beg votes in the elections. “My answer to them is, if free and fair elections are held in Karachi, the JI will be able to elect its mayor with simple majority,”
“We are here to address Karachi plight and in this context the JI will strive for the city and its peoples’ rights all the way long. Ruling parties in centre and Sindh are exploiting Karachi and federal government despite it made promise did nothing in direction to correct population census of Karachi.”
The government even looks incapable of protecting innocent women from inhuman acts and has failed to arrest culprits involved in heinous crimes, he lamented. Karachi educated youths are unemployed besides they are deprived of education only because of wrong policies and prejudice policies of successive and present governments, he remarked. Siraj said that the infrastructure of the city is in shambles, overflowing gutters and dilapidated road network have made life of people miserable. The country is rich in natural resources but the PTI-led government has planned and shown its interest in giving poultry and livestock to people, he added. He said it is high time for people of Karachi to come out and strive for their just basic rights as the JI is always with them. He said the JI would raise voice for Karachi rights in Senate as the party in the past has been raising voice for Karachi on all fora including parliament.
The landlords in Sindh have usurped rights of their people and farmers and even people cannot vote on their own due to tyrant behavior of influential, he explained. Addressing the participants, Karachi Amir, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that all present and past rulers in Sindh have ruined Karachi and deprived people of their basic rights.
He said that Pakistan Peoples’ Party and Muttahida Quami Movement have looted Karachi like hot cake and remained eager to save their vested interest on cost of citizens and Karachi rights.
The rulers of the past and present day have multiplied miseries of people manifold on account of their insincere attitude and poor performance, he added.
The PTI government is still patronizing KE with providing heavy subsidies besides giving concessions to its echelon who are looting consumers with both hands, he asserted.
The bias population census in Karachi is the main reason behind the city’s destruction as rulers never planned development projects according to number of people which stands around 30 million, he said.“This has intentionally been done to keep Karachi away from prospering,” he added.
He announced that the JI would conduct a referendum from October 15 to 17 in Karachi for its rights. It is our demand to give rights to Karachi and do not treat us as beggars, he warned. “Today we have broken down ethnic divide as people from all segments of society and speaking different languages are here and sharing with us,” he maintained. Hafiz Naeem demanded the government to abolish quota system, provide fair chances of education and employment to youths of the city. “We have open options to cordon off the Chief Minister House and Governor House if rulers do not change their mindset towards people and city,” he added.
JI Sindh Assembly member, Abdul Rasheed; Naib Amir, Dr Osama Razi; Deputy Secretary, Abdul Razzaq Khan; JI parliamentary leaders in KMC, Junaid Mukati; businessmen including Zahid Saeed, Khalil Ahmad Nenital and Abdullah Arif in their respective addresses demanded the government to resolve the problems of the city. They were of the view that rulers should now do justice to city and its people.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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