JI chief flays PPP for ‘denying’ powers to local govts

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of violating the constitution by denying the devolution of powers to local government representatives.

Addressing a public Iftar gathering in the Landhi area, he also held the ruling PPP and its allies responsible for the hardships faced by Karachiites, alleging that they had seized all available resources for personal gain.

He further claimed that the PPP government in Sindh had taken control of Karachi’s mayorship with the support of the establishment.

Rehman stated that every public sector department responsible for serving the masses had been hijacked by the PPP. He accused the party of monopolising resources in the guise of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

He also criticised remnants of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), alleging that individuals who once could not afford quality footwear were now travelling in luxury vehicles at the expense of Karachiites’ rights. The JI leader elaborated on the struggles faced by the city’s residents, asserting that Karachiites would not accept injustice as their fate and would resist oppression.

He emphasised that the daughters of Karachi deserved a proper mass transit system instead of Qingqi rickshaws, and that the city needed a reliable water supply and uninterrupted electricity, like other major cities worldwide.

He urged Karachiites to join the JI’s resistance movement after Eid-ul-Fitr. He announced that the movement would begin with protests outside the Governor’s House and Chief Minister’s House.

He further called upon citizens to participate in the million march, which was set to take place in Karachi after the holy month, in protest against the government’s policies.