JI slams hefty e-challan fines as ‘robbery’ of Karachiites

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Sunday lambasted the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regime over deteriorating infrastructure, broken roads, and what he called the “robbery” of Karachi citizens through electronic-challan fines.

“The feudal mindset that has looted and ruined Karachi, it will no longer work — the time has come to say goodbye to this system,” the JI chief said.

Discussing public transport, Hafiz Naeem said Karachi needed 15,000 buses, yet the Sindh government had introduced only a few hundred, deceiving the public.

“Due to the lack of proper transport, the entire city 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 said.

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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.

Hafiz Naeem also unveiled plaques for future development projects in North Nazimabad and inaugurated roads named after famous naat poet Ejaz Rahmani.

The JI chief’s statement comes days after Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) submitted an adjournment motion of public importance in the Sindh Assembly against the enforcement of e-challans (e-tickets) on Karachi’s citizens without providing basic facilities and infrastructure.

In his motion, MQM MNA Adil Askari stated that the Sindh government has implemented the e-challan system without ensuring basic traffic management and road safety measures, which he termed as unjust, premature, and harmful.

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He said that broken roads across the city and province were causing daily hardships and accidents for citizens. “There is no proper transport system in place, and commuters have no viable options for public transportation,” he added.

The lawmaker pointed out that the non-functional traffic signal system, absence of road markings, zebra crossings, and traffic signboards had made it impossible for both drivers and pedestrians to follow traffic rules.

In his address, Hafiz Naeem also said the performance of the nine town chairmen, belonging to the JI, was far better than that of the “occupying mayor.”

He alleged the provincial government of exploiting Karachi’s institutions and resources for personal gains, saying the city had been treated as an opportunity of income rather than a place to serve.

“We do not accept the Form-47 government or the occupied mayorship. Karachi’s development projects are launched but never completed,” he said, adding that major infrastructure like University Road under the Red Line project, Karimabad underpass, and the remaining parts of the Green Line project remain unfinished.