KARACHI: Central Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that neither granting Karachi provincial status nor placing it under federal control can resolve the city’s problems, stressing that only an empowered local government can put the metropolis back on track.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters, on Tuesday.
Rejecting demands for federal control or a separate province, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that Karachi’s authority must rest with its own citizens. “A system of occupation cannot function by disrespecting the people’s mandate,” he remarked, warning that dissatisfaction with the Sindh government could eventually turn into resentment against the federation as well.He said empowered local government systems were successfully functioning in major cities around the world, citing London and New York in the West and Tehran and Istanbul in the Muslim world as examples.
Recalling Karachi’s past, he said citizens still remembered the 2001–2005 period as a “golden era” when, under the leadership of Naimatullah Khan, the city government set Karachi on the right path.
Addressing PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the JI chief pointed out that Istanbul’s municipal government controls key sectors such as the master plan, fire brigade, transport, sewerage, water and welfare services, whereas in Karachi, the PPP-led provincial government had taken over almost all institutions. He alleged that despite Jamaat-e-Islami winning the local government elections in Karachi, a PPP mayor was imposed through rigging.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would hold a grand march titled “Let Karachi Live” on Shahrah-e-Faisal on February 1, saying the rally would create hope among the city’s youth. “Jamaat-e-Islami will not abandon the people of Karachi,” he asserted.
Referring to the Gul Plaza tragedy, he said an atmosphere of despair and helplessness prevailed across the country, particularly in Karachi. According to reports, 83 people lost their lives in the incident. He said citizens felt the city had no caretaker, adding that neither the federal nor the provincial government showed any concern and were instead busy “looting Karachi’s resources.”
He said the PPP had been ruling Sindh for the past 17 years, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) remained its coalition partner in almost every tenure. After every tragedy, he alleged, the two parties indulged in political point-scoring instead of addressing real issues, fostering division and prejudice to sustain their politics. He claimed land grabbing was at its peak in the city and demanded the immediate resignation of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, saying he had lost all moral justification to continue in office.
The JI chief said the Gul Plaza inferno had badly exposed the PPP government and highlighted the absence of an effective fire fighting system in the province. He said fire-fighters under the KMC-controlled fire brigade lacked proper personal protective equipment, special masks and modern rescue gear, and had not received adequate training for nearly 11 years. He accused the provincial government of attempting to take control of the fire brigade as well, terming it part of an “occupation-oriented mindset” that had stalled Karachi’s development.
Highlighting civic issues, he said Karachiites were left to fall into open sewers, be swept away by rains or be crushed under heavy traffic. Dilapidated roads were causing injuries, projects remained incomplete, and dust and pollution were spreading diseases.
He said the K-IV water project, launched in 2005, remained incomplete even in 2026. Similarly, the KCR, Green Line and Red Line projects had suffered prolonged delays. The Red Line project, scheduled for completion in 2024, was still unfinished, with its cost escalating from Rs79 billion to Rs300 billion. “Instead of providing relief, these projects have become a source of destruction for the people of Karachi,” he said.
On public transport, he said Karachi required at least 15,000 buses, but claims of resolving the transport crisis were being made by running only a few buses. “The Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon is running more advertisements than buses,” he remarked. He also alleged that after the Karachi Building Control Authority was converted into the Sindh Building Authority, around 100,000 buildings were constructed in the last five years, of which 85,000 were illegal.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said Karachi drove the economy of the entire country and described it as “Mini-Pakistan.” “The development of Karachi means the development of Pakistan. Freedom from the feudal system has now become inevitable,” he said.
Commenting on global affairs, he said former US president Donald Trump’s policies were commercial and war-driven. He rejected Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” and termed Pakistan’s participation in it unacceptable, calling Trump a threat to global peace. He said Pakistan’s submission to the United States had already cost the country $150 billion in the past and returning to the same approach would contradict national interests.
Reiterating Pakistan’s long-standing position, he said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s policy was clear and unwavering, stressing that Israel should not be recognized under any circumstances.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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