KARACHI: On the call of Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, a ‘youth protest demonstration’ was held outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Sunday evening as part of a nationwide movement demanding an empowered local government system and action on major civic and municipal issues.
A large number of young people from across Karachi participated in the demonstration. Donkey-cart owners also joined the protest in a large number, expressing anger over government policies.
Addressing the gathering, JI Karachi Ameer Monem Zafar said protests for an empowered local government system were being held not only in Karachi but across Pakistan on the call of Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. He alleged that the Pakistan Peoples Party’s 17-year rule in Sindh was marked by incompetence, mismanagement, and the worst corruption. He added that Karachi’s youth had been protesting for the past 15 days over basic civic problems.
Monem Zafar rejected the current e-challan system and demanded immediate changes to what he described as a punitive system of fines. He said that while the Sindh government insisted on receiving its full share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, it had failed for 17 years to announce the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) Award.
Referring to the Safe City Project, he said cameras were supposed to be installed in 2011, but even in 2025 the Safe City cameras were still not in place. However, he added, cameras for issuing challans had been installed. He claimed that at least 85 people in Karachi had received extortion slips, and when traders held press conferences over the issue, the Chief Minister questioned why they had done so.
Zafar said Karachi lacked dignified public transport, forcing youth to travel on motorcycles. He alleged that the Sindh government was now imposing heavy fines on motorcyclists through the e-challan system. He clarified that Jamaat-e-Islami was not against e-challans in principle, but against violations of the law, and questioned under which law motorcyclists were being fined up to Rs. 5,000.
JI Youth Wing leader Hashim Yousaf Abdali also spoke.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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