‘PTI not aiming to take control of Karachi’

Asserting that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was committed to resolving Karachi's civic issues, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader of the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh dismissed on Thursday the reports of the ruling party in the Centre intending to take control of the metropolis.

His remarks came in response to the allegations levelled by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which earlier held demonstrations slamming the PTI and its coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan for "attempting to split Sindh."

Addressing a press conference, Sheikh said, "Over the past week, [the PTI has been facing] allegations of intending to occupy Karachi. But there is no truth to them." He added the party was also not aiming to carve a new administrative unit out of Sindh.

"If Karachi develops, the entire Sindh, as well as the rest of the country would benefit," he said, adding that they wanted to help the city and a coordination committee had been formed for the purpose.

Reiterating that the PTI was not aiming to gain the city's control, he said, "Talking about Karachi's progress and prosperity does not amount to being hostile towards it." But, he added, the PTI wanted its gutters cleaned, its roads repaired and old buses replaced by new ones. "Does this equate to being antagonistic towards Karachi?"

Sheikh then went on to criticise the PPP, asking whether funds given to the provincial government for Karachi's development were really spent for the purpose.

"The PPP should not play the Sindh card to hide its failures," he remarked, accusing the party of "misleading masses via slogans based on ethnic differences." He added that it was time to shun the politics of ethnicity and extremism.

Sheikh also pointed out that while on one hand the PPP was a part of the committee formed to resolve Karachi's issues, on the other, PPP Sindh president Nisar Khuhro continued to lead demonstrations against the Centre.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2020.