MQM leader warns of riots if water crisis not addressed

Recalls how last year, people protested for 10 days to draw govt’s attention to the issue

KARACHI: Riots will break out in the city if the Sindh government fails to take measures to address the ongoing water crisis, warned the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, on Friday.

He recalled how last year, people protested for 10 days to draw the government’s attention to the issue. “If the Sindh government fails to resolve the water crisis, people will come out on the streets and riots will break out,” said the MQM parliamentarian, addressing a press conference at the Sindh Assembly.

With the focus of the conference being the water crisis, Hassan said he has written a letter to the chief minister, urging him to take immediate notice of the prevailing crisis in the city, especially before Ramazan. He was of the view that with the government failing to take notice of the issue, people will come out on the streets which could create a serious law and order situation.

The MQM leader said that the Sindh government, for the last eight years and, especially, the last three years, had kept the people of the city deprived of water.

Talking about the provincial budget due for next month, he said that he has ‘no hope’ from the upcoming budget. “It will be an anti-people budget, paving the way for corruption of ministers,” he said.

Flanked by another MQM leader, Syed Sardar Ahmed, the parliamentarian said the government claims to be spending huge amounts on providing water but people are still not getting any. “People are in a miserable condition. They are forced to buy water tankers by paying hefty sums, while the poor cannot afford [this].”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2016.