KARACHI: Chief of Karachi chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has sought support of the public for local government elections in the remaining 11 Union Councils (UCs) in the mega-city, and pledged to resist its possible takeover by “feudal lords”.

Addressing a public iftar gathering in UC 13 in New Karachi, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman appealed to the public for overwhelming support in elections in the 11 UCs to be held on May 7, 2023.

“Karachiites should come forward overwhelmingly on May 7 to vote for the JI and for the sake of Karachi’s future,” he said.

He accused the ruling Pakistan People’s Party of indulging in “naked rigging in order to elect its mayor and continue its corrupt practices”. The PPP is afraid of the JI’s “imminent victory” in the local government elections.

“The citizens of Karachi will not allow the ‘feudal lords’ of PPP to turn the city into their rest house,” said Naeem-ur-Rehman. The city that was once known as the ‘city of lights’ has been turned into a ‘city of garbage’.

He blamed the PPP’s ‘incompetence and corruption’ for Karachi’s poor road and civic infrastructure, and shortage of electricity and drinking water. He also accused the PPP of “influencing” the seventh census with the help of district management and administration.

“The population of Karachi is underreported under a conspiracy to usurp rights of the city and the Karachiites,” he claimed. Tens of thousands of households in several areas in the mega-city were left uncounted during the census, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023