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KARACHI: A large number of people on Saturday marched on University Road, demanding a final deadline for completion of the long overdue Red Line BRT project. Jamaat-e-Islami’s Public Aid Committee and the Red Line Awami Action Committee jointly organized the protest march under the leadership of JI Karachi Ameer Monem Zafar Khan. The march began at Bait-ul-Mukarram Mosque and ended at Hassan Square along Main University Road. The protestors demanded that the Sindh government immediately complete the Red Line project. They also called for alternate routes to be provided for the hundreds of thousands of daily commuters, compensation to be given to affected traders for their business losses, and financial support for those who were killed, injured, or otherwise harmed during the project’s prolonged construction delays. The march was addressed by Karachi Ameer Monem Zafar Khan, Karachi Vice Ameer and KMC Opposition Leader Saifuddin Advocate, East District Ameer Naeem Akhtar, Action Committee Convener Najeeb Ayoubi, and others. The participants carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans such as “Stop hostility against Karachi,” “Complete the Red Line immediately,” and “Give Karachi its due rights.” Speaking to the marchers at Hassan Square, Monem Zafar Khan said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) represents the worst combination of incompetence and corruption. He said the PPP has no concern for the destruction of traders’ livelihoods or the severe hardships faced by ordinary citizens and students. Karachi is the only city where no definite completion date is given for projects, and no arrangements are made for those affected. University Road is in a dilapidated condition, and there are no alternative routes for the public. Those whose businesses have been destroyed are not being compensated; instead, fake lists are being created in the names of contractors. The Asian Development Bank allocated billions of rupees in funding, and work began on the project in 2019 — yet it still shows no sign of completion, with new deadlines being announced every time, he said. He further said the JI launched the “Complete Red Line BRT” campaign, which would continue until the project is completed. Today’s protest is symbolic — if the issues are not resolved, a much larger protest will follow, he said, adding the movement and resistance will continue, and Jamaat-e-Islami would keep fighting for Karachi’s rights. The people must stand with Jamaat-e-Islami to free Karachi from the fascism of the ruling PPP, he said. Saifuddin Advocate said the PPP’s 17-year rule has been a constant source of misery and suffering for the people of Karachi. The entire city has been turned into ruins, and University Road remains dug up. The provincial government is only concerned about commissions and kickbacks, he said. No one affected by the Red Line project has been compensated. Fake contractor lists are being prepared, but the genuine victims are being ignored, he added. Naeem Akhtar said the BRT project is a symbol of corruption and incompetence, serving only about six percent of the population’s needs. In Punjab, similar projects are completed within the stipulated time, but this BRT project remains incomplete even after three years. The Sindh provincial government has become completely insensitive and indifferent to the people’s sufferings. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
