Thousands take part in JI’s Karachi Rights March

KARACHI:

Thousands of Karachiites along with their families took to University Road to participate in the Karachi Rights March, called by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi, demanding their due rights and civic facilities in the megalopolis.

The march, days ahead of the local bodies elections in the city, affected the political environment of the mega city as a large number of youth participated in the program. The participants, majority of them in yellow t-shirts with scale on them, carrying placards and banners chanted slogans against the government and in the favor of the JI.

"The JI is the only solution," chanted the participants in course before the keynote speech by JI Karachi chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. People from all walks of life as well as house wives with various political ideologies also participated in the march and expressed solidarity with Engr Naeemur Rehman. The participants gathered at Hassan Square and marched to the Federal Urdu University.

Addressing the participants, the JI leader said that the JI has become the only solution for the city and the citizens because the candidates and leaders of the party have no criminal records against them.

Quoting a survey in the megalopolis, he said that 48 percent youth of Karachi doesn't want to stay in the city because of the local situations. Addressing the youth, he asked them to avoid the trend of leaving the city instead he urged them to stay back and fight against the injustice by the rulers and authorities.

He said that Karachi is home to more than 30 million cultured people and they have their own political preferences but for the sake of the city and larger interests of fellow citizens, they will be voting for the scale to elect the JI's candidate as city mayor.

He assured the people of Karachi that the JI's mayor will not be only crying foul, instead he will be making efforts even beyond his mandate for the future of the city. He said that the JI had delivered in the past and will do so against if elected in the city.

The JI leader said that water crises are one of the core problems in Karachi and the last major water supply project for the city, K3, was completed during the tenure of Nematullah Khan. Since then, he added, not even a single drop of water was increased in the supply for Karachi. The K4 water supply project is the only solution to the water crises in Karachi the JI's mayor would be initiating the project, he said while expressing his hope.

Engr Naeemur Rehman further said that the Pakistan People Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf only announced fake packages for Karachi whereas the Muttahida Qaumi Movement received shares from both of the parties.

He said that the PPP government in Sindh posted Rs5000 billion as development budget during the past 14 years. Where did the PPP spend the budget, he asked. The JI leader also questioned the seriousness behind the announcement of Rs1100 billion package and the Karachi Transformation Plans.

On the occasion, he made it clear that Karachiites are not asking for any undue favor or alms. Despite all financial constraints, Karachiites deposited taxation of Rs1505 billion, posting an increase of 42 percent year on year, he said.

The PPP government in Sindh has become a club of feudal lords, he said, adding that the PPP have usurped the rights of youth in Karachi by placing public sector jobs for sale across the province through fake domiciles. He strongly lambasted the PPP government in Sindh over what he called the murder of merit. Rejecting the claims by PPP ministers over the rule of merit and role of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in recruitment process in the provinces, he recalled that some of those who passed the IBA exams.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2022.