KARACHI: Karachi Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman on Thursday demanded a fresh census in the city to help ensure provisions of rights to the people.

"Quota system should be abolished and the educated youth of the city be provided with their due share of jobs in departments of Sindh government and local bodies," he told a news conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq.

He said the existing local bodies act should be repealed and elections for local government announced.

"We want an empowered local government for the city," he said. Criticizing the K-Electric, he demanded forensic audit of its accounts and said it must be made to return the billions of rupees it had "stolen" from people and institutions.

Naeem said his party would stage a sit-in on the Sharah-e-Faisal on Friday (today) as part of its Rights for Karachi movement. A protest rally will be taken out from the Five Star Chowrangi to the Hyderi Market on Saturday (tomorrow).

Sit-ins will be staged at the Aladin Park on January 17 and at Karimabad on January 23. Protests would be staged across the city on January 22 and sit-ins at 50 points on January 28, he said.

The JI leader condemned the filing of FIR against 29 people of Pakistan Steel Mills Employees Action Committee. He said cases against these people should be withdrawn and all employees should be reinstated.

He said according to the latest survey, 41 percent of the country's tax was collected from Karachi alone.

"But still only a little part of the federal and provincial budgets is allocated for Karachi. It has been five months since the federal government announced a package of Rs1100 billion but only five percent of it has been implemented," he added.

He said the parties in the centre and in the province were united against the interests of the people.

"The Pakistan People's Party has been treating Karachi badly for years. The MQM remains in power but does not do anything to solve the problems.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021