Membership drive: JI chief visits various parts of Karachi, assails PPP

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) central chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday accused the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of retaining a feudal and landlord-style mindset, alleging that it has merely adopted a modern façade of feudalism while lacking any genuine commitment to democracy or public opinion.

Addressing participants during a visit to a membership campaign camp at Johar Mor in Gulistan-e-Johar, he said the PPP has remained imposed on Sindh for the past 18 years and continues to control Karachi’s institutions, resources, and authority.

He said the Sindh government was unwilling to transfer powers and resources to local government institutions, in clear violation of Article 140-A of the Constitution. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said Jamaat-e-Islami’s nine town chairmen and local representatives were serving citizens round the clock by utilizing limited town resources and completing development projects swiftly for public welfare.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami had emerged as the true voice of the people, not only in Karachi but across the country. He added that the party’s “Badal Do Nizam” movement aims to free the country from the nexus of feudal lords, bureaucrats, and the elite class.

Announcing targets under the ongoing membership drive, he said the party aims to recruit five million new members nationwide and urged the public to join Jamaat-e-Islami’s struggle.

He criticized the ruling elite for being indifferent to public hardships, holding them responsible for inflation, fuel price hikes, and broader economic difficulties while refusing to curtail their own luxuries. He also alleged that the PPP was misleading the federal government with false claims of development in Karachi, despite the city generating 98 percent of Sindh’s revenue and its residents continuing to face poor civic conditions.

Speaking on the occasion, Karachi Jamaat-e-Islami Deputy Chief and opposition leader in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Saifuddin Advocate, said the party’s campaigns were aimed at guiding people toward justice and public welfare. He highlighted welfare initiatives such as Bano Qabil and Aghosh, and said the “Haq Do Karachi Ko” movement was a struggle to secure citizens’ rights and address civic problems.

He said the ruling class was sitting over public resources “like a snake,” while citizens remained deprived of water, electricity, gas, transport, and other basic facilities. The event was attended by a large number of citizens, including women and students. Many filled out membership forms and pledged to join the movement.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026