Other than rhetoric, nothing concrete has been done to address basic issues by those who hold or have held power
LAHORE: It is Karachi’s misfortune that while it has offered livelihood, shelter, fame and fortune to millions, in reality — other than claims of ownership — nobody really owns it. How else can all those who deliver fiery speeches and have been in power for over two decades explain that although water is available through hydrants, strangely, its supply through pipelines is rare and seldom does it flow through taps in houses? For a few thousand rupees, there are tankers which will deliver water to your doorstep, provided you can afford it and have storage capacity. Over 1,000 poor citizens have died due to dehydration, while politicians and paid public office holders only delivered emotional speeches blaming each other, just like they did in 2012 when 289 poor workers were burned alive, only to be forgotten with not a single person held responsible.
The water tanker mafia of Karachi, which originated in the 1980s with the connivance of a few corrupt officials, has spread to all parts of the city, having assumed the status of a tax-free Rs10 billion illegal business, which has flourished during every military and civilian government that has been in power in the last two decades. In addition, in Karachi as well as in other parts of Sindh, there are not only ghost schools, but also ghost employees and ghost projects that exist only on paper. The sad reality is that Karachi has become an economic transit stopover to make quick money. Other than rhetoric, nothing concrete has been done to address basic issues by those who hold or have held political power because most of them have abandoned not only this city but the country, having adopted either foreign nationalities or residential status in other countries where their assets and families are located.
Malik Tariq Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th, 2015.
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