Daily Times

Ameer Jama’at-e-Islami Karachi Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has demanded a fresh consensus in Karachi to give the people of the city their legal rights and solve their various issues.

Speaking at a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq here on Thursday, he also demanded that quota system be abolished and the educated youth of the city be provided their due share of jobs in departments of Sindh government and local bodies.

He said the existing local bodies act be repealed and elections for local government be announced. “We want an empowered local government for the city,” he said.

Talking about transport issues, he said the Green Line project must be made functional immediately and a thousand buses should be operated to resolve people’s commuting problems.

The JI leader condemned the filing of an FIR against 29 people of Pakistan Steel Mill Employees Action Committee, including Asim Bhatti. He said cases against these people be withdrawn and all employees be reinstated.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

“Pakistan People’s Party has been treating Karachi badly for years. MQM remains in power but does not do anything to solve the problems. PPP and MQM first extended the quota system for an indefinite period and then MQM let the controversial census of 2017 be passed by the federal cabinet,” Naeem said.
“The ruling parties say that the military was involved in the census exercise. In that case, we expect the military authorities to clarify their position and get the people of Karachi their due rights,” he said.
He added that court had ordered recounting in five percent blocks, but it was not done and the federal cabinet approved the census results. “In many areas, the population counted is less than the number of registered voters. How could that be!” he said.

He said there is no transport system in this city of 30 million. “People have to travel by chingchi and on the buses’ roof. There used to be thousands of buses of KTC but MQM and PPP destroyed that organization. When KTC was disbanded, MQM held the provincial transport department. The circular railway was closed in late 1990s when MQM was in power,” Naeem added.

“MQM’s various factions should tell us what they did for Karachi. K-III project was completed by Naimatullah Khan and he had also started K-IV which was destroyed by MQM and PPP. They were together in land grabbing and depriving people of parks and sports grounds,” said the JI leader.
“The opportunities for education for middle and lower classes are being closed. There is a shortage of educational institutions in the city. The government schools and colleges are on the verge of collapse. The youth of Karachi was treated unjustly in the medical colleges admission test,” he added.