Karachi Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the assassination of a JI councillor in the Surjani Town area of the city.
Rehman conveyed this ultimatum while addressing the media following the funeral prayers of the slain councillor, Muhammad Mujeeb. A significant gathering of local residents, JI supporters, and elected representatives came together to offer their respects after the Friday prayers.Mujeed fell victim to the machinations of the electricity hook mafia in Surjani Town, targeted for his participation in a meeting aimed at devising a collective strategy against the criminal syndicate.
He was a beloved figure in his constituency, representing Union Council 5 of Manghopir.Rehman emphasised that should the government fail to meet their deadline, the JI would launch citywide protests. Highlighting the reasons behind the attack, Rehman stated that Mujeeb had bravely raised his voice against criminal elements in Surjani Town, an area that had seen a surge in criminal activities under the patronage of the previous Pakistan People’s Party government.
The JI councillor had actively advocated for the local residents against the K-Electric and the electricity hook mafia.In his plea to the caretaker chief minister, Sindh Rangers director general and the Sindh inspector general of police, Rehman urged them to fulfil their duties in this regard. He made it clear that the government would be held accountable for any repercussions if the electricity hook mafia remained untouched and the culprits were not swiftly arrested and brought to justice.
“We don’t want mere assurances; we demand the immediate incarceration of the culprits,” he emphasised. Karachi JI deputy chief Dr Osama Razi also addressed the gathering, stressing that bullets and such acts of hooliganism were not unfamiliar to the JI. He asserted, “You may take a life, but you cannot deter the JI.”The funeral prayers for slain councillor were offered in Surjani Town on Friday.
The funeral prayers were led by Hafiz Naeem ur Rahman, the Karachi chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami. “The question arising from this funeral is: when our youths will stop becoming targets of bullets?” he asked. “Whichever direction we look in, crimes are on the rise.”Rehman said Habib embraced martyrdom while serving the public. “I want to ask the electric company about kunda mafia. How can a kunda mafia be so active when there is an electric company?” he questioned.
The JI leader demanded of the Sindh Rangers and the IGP to ensure the arrest of the culprits. “We have conveyed our message to the high officials. If the culprits are not arrested within 48 hours, we will protest,” he warned.The chairman of the Surjani Town Union Committee, Umeed Ali Qazi, stated that obtaining legal electricity connections had been a longstanding issue for the local residents while efforts to resolve this issue were ongoing, but the kunda mafia was preventing its solution.
“We gathered there for the same issue when the kunda mafia leader along with his companions arrived and opened fire at us,” Qazi said.Muzammil, who was injured during the incident, stated that the mafia had abducted him.
