Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that Karachiites face immense problems on daily basis due to corruption and is management on part of the federal and provincial governments.
The JI leader expressed these views while addressing a press conference held at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters, here on Tuesday.
He said that the prevailing situation and uncertainty have dashed the hopes of arachiites and particularly the youth in the city. As a result, the brain drain has reached to an all time high level, he added.
On one hand, the country needs professionals for its own survival and on the other hand, the largest populated city of the country lacks educational institutes, in fact the entire education sector has doomed, he said while referring to the situation of public sector universities and fees in the private sector institutes.
He said the ruling elite has kept not only the education sector out of its priorities but also it doesn’t care about the lack of basic facilities, including water supply, transportation and healthcare for masses in Karachi.
He said everyone needs to realize that the progress and development of the entire country is linked with the progress and development of Karachi — duly known as the economic nerve of Karachi. However, the city was missing from the agenda of all considerable polling parties, except then the JI, he said.
The Pakistan People Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Muslim League-N never missed any opportunity to use Karachi and Karachiites for their political gains but unfortunately they did nothing for the progress and development of the city.
He said once the city of lights –Karachi — became the hub of problems because of the negligence by the political parties.
Talking about the burning issues, he highlighted the K-4 water supply project and said that the PPP, the PML-N, the PTI and the MQM played their roles in delaying the much needed project. He talk in detail about the government’s illintentions behind delaying the project and allocation only a very small fraction of the desired budget for the project.
He said that the PPP has been setting text book examples of corruption and mismanagement in the name of development projects. On the occasion, he highlighted the Orange Line project in Karachi that consumed heavy amount of taxpayers’ money and six long years to erect infrastructure on just two kilometers. He also highlighted the incomplete Green Line project and the under construction Red Line project that adversely affects millions of people and would facilitate around 22 thousand people.
He elaborated that the Rapid Bus Transportation system has now become unable to cater the needs of Karachi and Karachiites. Instead, he said, the city needs a proper mass transit system and to be more precise a light train system for the entire city.
On the occasion, he demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to closely monitor the violations of its code of conduct for the local government elections in Karachi and take strict action against those involved.
He also demanded of the ECP to ensure static deployment of the army and Rangers personnel outside polling stations during the upcoming local government elections.
