Karachi: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Monem Zafar Khan has said the Gul Plaza tragedy had exposed Bilawal Bhutto’s so-called Sindh Vision and reduced it to ashes. He also announced to take out ‘Let Karachi Live’ march to be held on Shahrah-e-Faisal, February 1 for Karachi’s rights*
The JI Karachi chief was addressing a press conference, here on Thursday, at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi Headquarters. JI Karachi Deputy Ameer and Opposition Leader KMC Advocate Saifuddin, Secretary Information Zahid Askari and other leaders, including Najeeb Ayubi, Imran Shahid and others flanked him.
Monem Zafar further said the Pakistan Peoples Party has been ruling Sindh for the past 17 years, yet all institutions under the Sindh government have become a clear symbol of failure. The PPP government in Sindh has become a security risk for Karachi.
Despite several days having passed since the Gul Plaza tragedy, all bodies have still not been recovered, he said, adding, “For a city with a population of over 35 millio
n, there are only 60 fire tenders, 10 fire bowsers, and 6 snorkels. The so-called mayor, Murtaza Wahab, showed such indifference toward Karachi that he reached the incident site after 23 hours. Where is the Sindh Building Control Authority? Seventy-five percent of buildings in the city lack basic fire safety arrangements. If the provincial government of the PPP cannot function in such circumstances, then Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the so-called Mayor of Karachi should resign.”
He said that MQM leader Mustafa Kamal himself is part of the federal government-so from whom is he making demands? MQM is an equal partner in all the crimes of the PPP. MQM has been directly involved in the destruction of Karachi, the ruin of the youth, and the gifting of gunny-bag bodies.
Zafar further said that the big march will be taken out on February 1 at 3:00 pm on Shahrah-e-Faisal to demand Karachi’s legitimate and constitutional rights, in which millions of people from across the city will participate. “Karachi i
s not orphaned; Jamaat-e-Islami will continue to fight the case of this city.”
Rejecting the Government of Pakistan’s decision to join the Gaza Peace Board, Monem Zafar said that this decision was equivalent to endorsing the US slavery.
He further stated that traditional committees headed by commissioners are unacceptable under any circumstances. Jamaat-e-Islami demands immediate compensation for the families of those who lost their lives in the Gul Plaza incident, immediate financial assistance and alternative business locations for affected shopkeepers, and transparent investigations under a committee headed by a sitting judge of the High Court, including all city stakeholders, traders, and the business community.
He said that Alkhidmat volunteers have been present at the site for five days, with relief camps established. Jamaat-e-Islami will take responsibility for the upbringing of the children of the deceased through the Alkhidmat Orphan Program.
Monem Zafar added that despite being the country’s eco
nomic hub, Karachi is deprived of basic facilities. More than half of the city lacks access to drinking water, while the tanker mafia rules. The K-IV project has not been completed even after 21 years, and under the name of augmentation, the city has been destroyed from NIPA to Hassan Square due to digging. If a child falls into an open sewer in Karachi, the government shifts responsibility onto others. Last year, 90 citizens were killed by street criminals, while over 64,000 street crime incidents were reported.
He said that the BRT Red Line has become a curse for the people of Karachi, and the city’s infrastructure is completely dilapidated. Jahangir Road, SM Taufiq Road, Seven Thousand Foot Road, MM Alam Road, and Manghopir Road present scenes of devastation. Sixty days passed after the 60-day promise, and then another 60 days passed, yet the claims of the so-called mayor proved to be false.