Pointing fingers: ‘5,000 people have been killed in Karachi during PPP’s tenure’

PTI candidates hold press conference at Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has failed to resolve Karachi’s problems and 5,000 people, including 159 policemen, were killed in the city during its tenure. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s candidate for NA-250, Dr Arif Alvi, shared this information while addressing a conference at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

Alvi called for army to be deployed at every polling station in Karachi to ensure that the elections were free and fair. He claimed that PTI had submitted an application to the caretaker chief minister to deploy army in the city but the application was ignored. “The Awami National Party candidate and other innocent people would not have been  killed if the army had been deployed.” Alvi felt that ordering a massive deweaponisation of the city could resolve the law and order problems. “You can’t expect to feel safe if you let murderers roam freely on roads and in market places.”



Alvi also claimed that the PTI chief, Imran Khan, had been targetted with propaganda ever since he joined politics. “He was initially labeled as a Jewish agent, then as ‘Taliban Khan’ and now rival parties are using the Qadiani issue to defame him,” said Alvi. “We believe the Qadianis to be non-Muslims but we recognise the rights provided to them, as a minority, under the Constitution.”

Baiting the voter

“If elected, I will focus on the problems faced by poor people in my constituency,” said Alvi. “You can see the difference between kacchi (weak) and pacca (well built) residential areas in Hazara colony.” He pointed out that the railway school in the colony didn’t have a single book in its library. Another member of the party, Samar Ali Khan, who is contesting the elections for PS-113, was also present at the occasion. “We may not have experience in contesting elections but we are trying to bring people into the political process so they vote - regardless of whether they vote for PTI or some other party,” said Khan.

Khurram Sher Zaman, who is contesting the elections for PS-112, claimed that PTI will sweep elections from NA -250. “We are under pressure from some elements who are putting hurdles in our political campaign,” he added.  He warned that there may be “a situation like Tahrir Square, Cairo, in the country” if the army was not deployed at polling stations. Waheeduz Zaman Kiyani, who was previously contesting the elections as an independent candidate for PS-113, withdrew his candidature in Samar Ali Khan’s favour at the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2013.