Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Saeed Ghani on Sunday accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of land grabbing.

He was addressing a press conference along with PPP Sindh Secretary General Waqar Mehdi and Rashid Rabbani. Workers from different political parties joined the PPP on the occasion.

“The city mayor should spare some time to read Local Government Act so that he could have a better understanding of his authority,” he added. Ghani made it clear that the PPP is not pressing or forcing workers of other parties to join its ranks.

“The MQM demanded authority from the provincial government to transfer it to the lowest level and the Sindh Government has given the authority to mayor Karachi. For Karachi Mayor’s assistance, the provincial government also established Sindh Solid Waste Management Board. But we have to see the issue that eight Mayor Karachi is using his powers or not,” he added.

“Mayor Karachi is not informed about the responsibility of cleaning of the city but it falls under the domain of District Municipal Corporations. Sindh government provides a grant to KMC Rs 50 million every month.”

“Earlier, the schools and colleges were under KMC but we transferred them to DMCs. The road’s construction is the responsibility of public elected local bodies’ representatives but the provincial government is currently doing this job.”

“We accept we did some err but the inabilities of one on Sindh government would be the worst example of inefficiency.”

He advised Wasim Akhtar to fulfill his obligations then talk about others’ responsibilities.

Ghani said for a long time the local government institutions have been under the MQM and on this pretext, MQM inducted 60,000 ghost employees in KW&SB, KMC, KDA and another department under the umbrella of local government. Besides the MQM filled 5,000 positions in KW&SB. These ghost employees never discharged their duties gathered on call of their founder chief.

To a query, Ghani said, “No other chairman in the province has such reservations and we don’t want to bring any confidence motion to make him a hero.”

On the occasion, leader of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) Fatima Abbas, MQM’s Nadeem Tehreeki, Pak Sarzameen Party’s (PSP) Shahid Khan and All Pakistan Muslim League’s Hamid Jaffery announced to join the PPP.

He said the PPP will emerge as major political of Karachi in next general elections.