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KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Amir Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said on Sunday that the performance of the nine town chairmen, belonging to the JI, is far better than that of what he dubbed as ‘occupying mayor’. He stated the JI desires healthy competition in education, health, public service, and development, alleging but the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has no interest in such matters. He accused the provincial government of Sindh of exploiting Karachi’s institutions and resources for personal gains, saying the megacity has been treated as an opportunity of income rather than a place to serve. Despite limited powers and resources, he said, development has begun in all JI-administered towns, and the party remains determined to continue serving citizens beyond its official authority. He said that major infrastructure projects like University Road under the Red Line BRT project, Karimabad underpass, and the second phase of the Green Line project remain unfinished. He made these remarks at a ceremony organised by TMC North Nazimabad at Park Barah Dari (Block A), where he inaugurated new and upcoming development projects, and at another event in New Karachi, where he inaugurated a newly constructed road from Power House Chowrangi to New Karachi No. 3. He criticized the Sindh government for paralyzing local institutions and denying towns the authority even for waste collection and road repair. “Under the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, billions of rupees are being misused, while elected representatives are deprived of their powers,” he claimed. He highlighted that the JI’s nine towns have entered a new phase of development Discussing public transport issue, he said Karachi needs 15,000 buses, yet the Sindh government has introduced only a few hundred. “Due to the lack of proper transport, the entire megacity runs on motorbikes and rickshaws, and women, students, and elderly citizens suffer daily. Meanwhile, e-challans are being used to extort thousands of rupees from citizens.” He claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami is now the largest political party in Karachi, securing the highest number of votes and seats in local government elections, but the PPP, with the support of the establishment, usurped four town chairmanships and the mayorship. “Citizens must not only vote for us in greater numbers but also protect their mandate,” he said, calling this essential for real development. He appealed to citizens to join the JI’s Ijtema-e-Aam (Public Gathering) in Lahore on November 21–23, which will focus on changing the system. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
