KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Chief, Monem Zafar on Wednesday announced city-wide protest demonstrations on 13 major arteries of Karachi on Friday, May 16, to address the acute water shortage plaguing the city.
Speaking at a press conference at JI’s headquarters, Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI leader criticized the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) government in Sindh for its “anti-Karachi” policies and systemic deprivation of essential services.
He accused the PPP, in collaboration with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, of manipulating Karachi’s population count from over 35 million to just above 20 million, reducing the city’s share of national resources. He highlighted the conversion of key institutions like the Karachi Building Control Authority into the Sindh Building Control Authority and the Karachi Development Authority’s Master Plan Department into the Sindh Master Plan Authority, alleging these changes enabled corruption and diminished Karachi’s autonomy.
Monem pointed to the recurring failures of Karachi’s water infrastructure, noting that an 84-inch water supply line had developed leaks six times in the past seven months, with the latest incident 14 days ago leaving large parts of the city without water. He questioned the absence of the mayor, local government minister, and chief minister in addressing the crisis.
He also criticized the stalled K4 water project, initiated by the late Nematullah Khan, which has ballooned from Rs25 billion to Rs200 billion while its capacity has been reduced from 650 million gallons to 260 million gallons. He accused the PPP of enabling the tanker mafia, which profits by selling water to residents.
Beyond water issues, he condemned the rising lawlessness in Karachi, stating that 42 citizens had been killed by street criminals in the past four and a half months. He also alleged police involvement in short-term kidnappings and criticized the Sindh Building Control Authority and FIA Crime Circle for supporting land and encroachment mafias.
The JI Karachi Chief cited an incident where an anti-encroachment official was tortured in Korangi Town, vowing that JI would mobilize Karachiites to resist these mafias.
Commenting on the recent operation “Bunyan Marsoos” on May 10, 2025, he praised the military and called for sustaining the spirit of unity it inspired. He urged the restoration of institutions like the National Cadet Corps, Civil Defense, and Scouts to bolster national preparedness.
The protests aim to demand immediate action on Karachi’s water crisis and broader governance failures, with JI positioning itself as a defender of the city’s rights.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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