KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi staged a large protest march on Saturday, demanding a fair share for Karachi in the provincial budget, early completion of the K-4 water supply project, and an end to what it called chronic injustices against the city.
The rally, which began from Khizra Masjid and ended at the Sindh Assembly building, saw participation from people across the city. Protesters carried banners and chanted slogans criticizing the Sindh government and its allies for ignoring Karachi’s basic needs.
Addressing the crowd, JI Karachi Chief Munem Zafar Khan accused the ruling PPP and MQM of presenting an “anti-Karachi” budget and sidelining the city in development planning. He said Karachi suffers from a worsening water crisis, crumbling infrastructure, lack of public transport, and power outages.
“Karachi contributes the most to the national and provincial economy but gets nothing in return,” Munem Zafar said, demanding at least Rs500 billion to address the city’s pressing issues. He stressed the need for 10,000 buses and the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway to ease public transport problems.
He criticized the under funding of the K-4 water project, saying only Rs3.2 billion was allocated against a Wapda requirement of Rs40 billion. “Karachi paid Rs3,000 billion in taxes, but the government can’t spare Rs40 billion for water?” he questioned.
Munem Zafar also condemned what he called “rigged” elections and political manipulation in the mayoral race, blaming both PPP and MQM as “products of Form 47” — a reference to election results he claimed was tampered with.
Highlighting stalled infrastructure projects, he pointed to delays and rising costs in the Red Line BRT and KDA underpass schemes, saying they had caused both human and financial losses.
He also slammed recent traffic and transport policies, including the ban on four-seater rickshaws and higher penalties for motorbike riders, calling them “illogical and unfair.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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