JI demands deployment of rangers, army for LB polls

KARACHI:

Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami in Karachi, has reiterated his demand that army and rangers personnel should be deployed during the second phase of the local bodies (LB) elections scheduled to be held on August 18.

The second phase of LB elections were to be held on July 24 in Sindh, but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) revised the schedule just three days before the polls citing the heavy monsoon rains as the reason.

While addressing a news conference at Idara-e-Noor Haq, Hafiz Naeem said that the ECP should deploy army and Rangers personnel during the LB polls in Karachi under Article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

He further said that the ECP should have removed the 'political administrator imposed on Karachi' by the PPP government in Sindh.

He said that his party has written letters to the ECP and has also filed a petition in the Sindh High Court seeking immediate holding of the LB elections as many political parties wanted the activity delayed or postponed indefinitely. He claimed 30 million people of Karachi do not figure on the priority list of the political parties which have been in power in Sindh, especially the PPP and MQM.

"All parties contest the elections to fulfill their desires and after coming to power they exploit people. The central and provincial governments only collect taxes from Karachi but are not ready to do anything for the citizens of this city," he added.

The Jamaat-e-Islami leader also demanded of the government to hold accountability of K-Electric over violations of its agreement with the state and conduct a forensic audit of the company's accounts. He also congratulated the traders' fraternity over a successful drive against the government's decision to merge excessive sales tax with electricity bills.

He lambasted the power utility company and reiterated his demand to revoke its license over "its failure to fulfill commitments". On the one hand, the K-E is increasing load-shedding in the city on one pretext or the other, while on the other hand it is increasing its tariffs.

The JI leader said that the K-E had claimed some four years ago before NEPRA that a 900 megawatts power plant would be installed soon which would end load-shedding in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2022.