Karachi: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Monem Zafar Khan has reiterated his demand for an empowered mega-city government as the only solution to Karachi's problems, declaring that neither the federal nor the provincial government can address the city's issues effectively.
The JI leader expressed these views while addressing a press conference, held at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters, here on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the struggle for Karachi's rights and the resolution of public issues would continue. 'Police violence, tear gas shelling, arrests, and terrorism charges cannot stop us,' he asserted.
Announcing a series of public gatherings under the banner of the 'Jeenay Do Karachi' movement, he said rallies would be held on February 27 in Orangi Town, February 28 in Liaquatabad, and March 1 at RCD Ground in Malir. Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, will address the gatherings. He added that 13 more rallies would be organized during Ramadan, and the movement would be intensified after Eid-ul-Fitr.
Monem Zafar emphasized that Jamaat-e-Islami believes in peaceful, constitutional, and democratic struggle, but protest cannot be confined to homes. 'Protest takes place on the streets, and no one can stop our peaceful demonstrations,' he said. Referring to the annual commemoration of the Karsaz incident on Shahrah-e-Faisal on October 18, he questioned why other political parties are denied the same right to assemble.
He stressed that Karachi urgently needs an empowered local government system, with authority and resources devolved to elected representatives in line with the spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which calls for strengthening democracy at the grassroots level. However, he accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of refusing to devolve powers.
He also criticized the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), saying it has been part of every government since 1986 and has benefited from power-sharing arrangements, while the PPP has controlled the province and city institutions for the past 18 years. He said that both parties have supported each other in controlling Karachi's resources and authority.
Highlighting governance issues, he said Karachi ranks among the least livable cities in the world, standing at 170 out of 173. He lamented that more than 50 percent of the city lacks access to potable water, even during Ramadan, and criticized delays in the K-IV water project, which remains incomplete after 21 years. He alleged that tanker mafias continue to profit from the water crisis.
Monem Zafar Khan also criticized the city's crumbling infrastructure, pointing to deteriorating roads, overflowing sewage lines, and damaged underpasses. He accused the provincial government of mismanaging major projects, citing the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit project, whose cost has reportedly increased from Rs79 billion to Rs103 billion.
Referring to recent building collapse and gas explosion incidents, including the Gul Plaza tragedy and a deadly gas explosion in North Nazimabad, he said authorities have failed to take serious measures to prevent such disasters. 'Even a month after the Gul Plaza tragedy, the exact number of casualties has not been confirmed, and families are still waiting for their loved ones,' he said.