JI assails Sindh govt for rising incidents of road traffic accidents

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Monem Zafar has strongly criticized the government for its failure to prevent the rising number of fatal accidents caused by dumpers, trailers, and other heavy vehicles. He attributed the crisis not merely to administrative shortcomings but to deep-rooted corruption and mismanagement.

Speaking at a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq on Thursday, Monem rejected Sindh Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah’s statement, in which the CM labelled the crisis as merely an administrative matter and urged against politicizing it. He argued that the severity of the situation demanded urgent action rather than political rhetoric.

He revealed alarming figures, stating that in the first 50 days of 2025 alone, Karachi had witnessed 110 fatalities and 1,500 injuries caused by heavy traffic accidents. Comparing this to 770 deaths and over 8,000 injuries in 2024, he warned that the situation had worsened significantly.

Calling it a failure of governance and institutional negligence, Monem criticized the government’s inaction. “It seems the authorities believe in holding meetings, but mere discussions will not solve this life-threatening crisis,” he remarked. He held the Sindh Chief Minister directly responsible, emphasizing that all relevant departments operate under his authority.

In response to the crisis, JI Karachi has announced large-scale protests at 15 key locations across the city. The JI Karachi Chief outlined the party’s demands, which include:

Government-funded medical treatment for the injured, deployment of traffic police at night and timely road maintenance ahead of the rainy season.

He also highlighted the sharp decline in Karachi’s transportation infrastructure over the past four decades. He presented key statistics to illustrate how the once-thriving city has been deprived of its essential services.

Before 1999, he said, Karachi’s mass transit system had 104 operational trains, including 80 mainline and 24 intra-city trains. Despite repeated promises, the government has failed to revive this effective transport network. In the 1970s and 1980s, Karachi had a functional tram service, but today, many young Karachiites are unaware it ever existed.

Karachi, with a population of over 30 million, currently has fewer than 1,100 operational buses, including BRT buses. In the 1980s, 70 percent of the city’s population relied on public transport; today, only 5 percent use it. Meanwhile, motorcycle usage has surged from 10 percent in the 1980s to over 60 percent today due to a lack of alternatives, according to Monem.

As part of its campaign to secure Karachi’s rights, JI Karachi will stage 15 protest demonstrations on Friday at major locations, including Sohrab Goth and Hub River Road. The JI Karachi Chief urged the public to join the peaceful resistance movement and demand their rights.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025