‘Unfair population count’: PSP warns of shutting down city

If count is not corrected, next seven generations of Karachiites would suffer: Kamal

KARACHI:

Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader Syed Mustafa Kamal warned on Sunday of shutting down Karachi and staging sit-ins across the metropolis if a fair census, in which the city’s population was counted correctly, was not conducted.

“[If a fair census is not conducted], the next seven generations [of Karachiites] would pay the price,” he further warned, addressing a rally.

The rally, denouncing the 2017 census, was taken out from Sharae Faisal and culminated at the Karachi Press club, where Kamal urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to withdraw the decision of approving the census.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has put in any efforts for Karachi, while its citizens continue to starve for water,” he alleged, also pointing out that the city was deprived of electricity in summers and gas in winters.

Kamal further stated that the citizens of Karachi would not stay silent on the violation of their rights.

Addressing the parties in the government, he said, “Here, you can see and hear the decision of Karachiites. After this, it will be your turn to decide whether you conduct a fair census or leave it to us to make matters right.”

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Kamal dubbed the rally a “trailer” of an ensuing shut down of the city if a fair census was not conducted.

“The government[s] have been afraid of counting us [Karachiites] correctly for the past 70 years, but I will not stay quiet anymore and fight for the rights of Karachiites till my last breath,” he vowed.

He said that an unfair census would breed inferiority complex among the residents of the financial hub of the country and this would, eventually, “prepare the terrorists of tomorrow.”

Kamal alleged that the approval of the controversial census worked in favour of the Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] and that it would never dare to support and conduct a fair census, as it would oust its government in Sindh.

He, then again, urged the PM to repeal the decision of the approval of the 2017 census.

“Make this one u-turn, and we will forgive all other u-turns you made,” he said.

Kamal also appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the “unfair census” and seek Karachi’s voter list and records of the citizens from the National Database and Registration Authority.

“The number of people in the voter list is higher than what is presented in the census,” he maintained, demanding for the “illegitimate census” not to be approved.

Otherwise, he warned, the next seven generations would be counted correctly either.

He accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan of striking a deal with the PTI at the cost of Karachiites.

“They first let the government approve an incorrect census and then stage a drama of approaching the court on the matter. Who are they trying to make a fool out of?” remarked Kamal.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2021.