Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq has demanded of Sindh Interim Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar to devolve administrative and monetary powers to union councils in Karachi as per the spirit of the constitution.
The JI supremo made the demand at a press conference held at Idara Noor-e-Haq -- the Karachi JI headquarters, on Thursday. He was flanked by Karachi JI chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Usama Razi and Munim Zaffar. The JI’s town chairmen and vice chairmen also attended the presser.
The JI chief said CM Baqar enjoys a good reputation, but he has not waved off the interim period to devolve powers to union councils as yet.
Talking about the miseries of Karachi and Karachiites, he said once a city of lights it has now become the “epitome of problems and crises”.
He quoted all the town chairmen present there as saying that water and sewerage crises had become the top issue of the city. He also highlighted the problems pertaining to infrastructure, road networks, violent street crime, lawlessness, inflation and other issues.
Haq said a mega city like Karachi needs some 35,000 busses to cater its mass transit needs. He added that the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh had arranged just a handful of busses to display them on multiple routes after decorating them with various colours.
The JI leader held the abuse of powers and use of unconstitutional measures as modus operandi by the ruling elite responsible for all the prevailing crises. He said that the entire country was suffering due to inflation and lawlessness.
He said that unfortunately, people are elected in this country on the basis of the capital they invest in shaping the public opinion. As a result, he said, electable individuals prefer the politics of interests, instead of principles. Subsequently, the ratio of poverty has propelled itself beyond 40 percent and nine million additional people are on the verge of slipping under the line of poverty, he said.
After a comparison of Pakistan to regional countries, the JI leader said Islamabad’s economy was under sheer pressure despite the fact that there was no shortage of resources in the country.
He demanded across the board accountability of those responsible for the miseries of the country. He further said that the interim government had been increasing inflation, petroleum products’ prices and electricity tariff since its inception.
He shed light on issues of electricity production and demanded of the interim government to quash all illegal agreements with all the 88 independent power producers immediately. He said the JI had decided to approach the country’s top court in this regard. He further said each electricity bill contained the 48 percent of the total amount under some 15 tax heads.
He said the interim government should focus on providing timely electricity, instead of serving the interest of the International Monetary Fund. To a question, he said the JI would contest the upcoming general elections with its own symbol and flag.
Talking about the interim government’s activism for privatisation of the Pakistan International Airlines and other public sector entities, he said that privatisation is not the solution to any problem.
