KARACHI, (daily paklish): Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had not only usurped his party’s mandate but had robbed 35 million residents of Karachi of their fundamental rights.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of a “model neighborhood” and newly constructed roads at Riffah-e-Aam Chowk, Malir Halt, organized by TMC Model Colony, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that the establishment had imposed individuals on the metropolis who knew nothing except corruption and plunder.
Flanked by JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar Khan and other leaders, including Mohammad Ashraf, MPA Mohammad Farooq, and Model Colony Town Chairman Zafar Ahmed, the JI chief maintained that despite the provincial government withholding development funds, JI-headed towns had created avenues for infrastructure work on a self-help basis.
”When we visited these areas during the local government elections, there were broken roads and craters everywhere. Today, paver blocks are being laid, sanitation systems have been improved, and civic amenities are expanding,” he said.
Highlighting Karachi’s economic footprint, Hafiz Naeem stated that the city drives the nation’s economy by contributing nearly half of the country’s total tax revenue. He lamented that political parties and their patrons had pushed the city to the brink of ruin. He said that the people of Karachi wanted a JI mayor because they believed the party would deliver even without powers, adding that JI would continue its struggle to secure formal powers for local bodies.
Detailing educational interventions, he pointed out that JI had stepped in to repair and renovate 73 out of 150 dilapidated government schools under its nine towns. Commenting on the broader state of education in the province, he noted that despite a massive provincial education budget of Rs 601 billion and over 41,000 schools, public education remained in disarray. He cited an instance in Ghotki where 49 teachers were deployed for a mere 23 students, highlighting systemic ghost-schooling and mismanagement.
He also referenced the Bano Qabil initiative, stating that over 1.6 million youth across the country had registered for free IT courses, helping young men and women acquire marketable digital skills without financial burden.
Speaking on the occasion, Monem Zafar Khan questioned the PPP’s 18-year rule in Sindh, demanding to know why basic civic issues in Karachi remained unresolved. He criticized the delayed execution of major transit projects, pointing out that the Green Line remained incomplete after five years and University Road had remained dug up for over five and a half years due to the stalled BRT Red Line project.
Model Colony Town Chairman Zafar Ahmed informed the gathering that development work covering an area of 7.3 million square feet was currently underway in Model Colony Town, with the installation of paver blocks scheduled for completion by December 31.