Unwelcoming circumstances: ‘Block roads to make the CM see Sukkur's condition himself’

Conference highlights sorry state of affairs in Sindh's third largest city

SUKKUR: Elected representatives and administrators of the city are responsible for the deteriorating condition of Sukkur and we should block the roads to coerce the chief minister into seeing the state of Sindh's third largest city, said Sukkur Small Traders president Jawed Memon.

A multi-party conference was held at Memon's residence to discuss the worsening condition of Sukkur. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam - Fazl (JUI-F), Sarwar Latif of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmaker Dewan Chand Chawla, Sunni Tehreek's Hafiz Mehboob Sahito, Aneel Bhatti and Safia Baloch of the Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F), Anwar Warsi of the Sunni Ittehad Council, Ayub Farooqui of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Waheed Khoso of the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party (STP), Ghulam Mustafa Phulpoto of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) and Imran Ali Shah of the Sukkur Citizen Welfare Committee attended the conference.

"We should block the roads when Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah travels through Sukkur on his way to Khairpur on weekends and force him to see for him the terrible situation," said Memon. "People criticise me by saying that I am fulfilling someone else's agenda. If repairing your own house is an agenda, then yes I am doing this for an agenda because Sukkur is my home."

He blamed Sukkur's pathetic state on years of criminal neglect and corruption. "You cannot walk through the city's roads without soaking your clothes in the sewage," he said. "Sukkur, which used to be a neat and clean city back in the '60s and '70s, is now known for its overflowing sewers, broken roads and traffic jams." Referring to the participants of the conference, Memon said that some leaders of the various parties have sought a week's time to discuss the issue with their leadership before launching a protest movement against the elected representatives. However, he added, they have said that if their parties didn't allow, then they will participate in the movement in their personal capacity under the banner of Sukkur Small Traders.

Coming hard upon the elected representatives of the city, JUI-F's Ayub said that the Pakistan Peoples Party has two MNAs, one senator and three MPAs from Sukkur who have been ruling for the past 25 years. Instead of developing, the city has put on the reverse.

Sukkur Citizen Welfare Committee's Shah said there are corruption cases worth Rs55 billion against the leader of the opposition in the national assembly registered with the National Accountability Bureau. "But what has been done so far?" he asked. "This city is very unfortunate for having elected representatives who know very well how to look after their own interests by depriving their voters of their legitimate basic rights."

According to JSQM's Phulpoto, a common misperception is that Sukkur is in shambles due to the differences of two influential politicians. "This is wrong because all the politicians are hand in glove in loot and plunder."

The speakers lamented the fact that not a single road in the city is motorable due to permanent accumulation of sewage water on the streets. Despite spending a huge amount of Rs22 billion in the name of megaprojects, the drainage system has completely collapsed, they added.

Moreover, many areas of the city do not get drinking water on regular basis, said the speakers. The 'builder mafia' has been given a free hand to construct high-rise buildings without even considering the provision of a proper drainage system, water, electricity and gas supply, they added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2014.