KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chapter on Sunday held a general workers’ convention at New MA Jinnah Road in connection with the upcoming local bodies’ elections to be held on July 24. A large number of party workers and candidates for councillor, chairman and vice chairman slots in 250 union councils of the megacity, besides people belonging to different walks of life attended the convention.
On the occasion, candidates participating in the local bodies polls were introduced to the audience. JI leader Dr Osama Razi and others also addressed the event. In his keynote, JI Karachi chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that JI is the only political force which is capable to put Karachi back on the track of development.
Fortunately, masses have realized who actually works for the megacity and who works for personal monetary gains and political point scoring, he said. Hafiz said politics based on incompetence, injustice, corruption and favouritism by the incumbent and previous regimes has ruined Karachi.
He said that the JI fielded y competent and honest candidates from across the megacity for the local bodies’ polls. The victory of these candidates would ensure peace, progress and development in Karachi.
Engr Naeemur Rehman said that only an empowered local government would be able to deliver and address the issues of megacity Karachi. On the occasion, he demanded of the PPP government in Sindh to act upon the agreement signed between the provincial government in Sindh and the JI that resulted in the culmination of the 29-day long JI sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly building.
He asked the Election Commission of Pakistan, administration and police as well as other law enforcement agencies to take appropriate steps in order to avoid lawlessness that surfaced recently during by-polls at a national assembly constituency in Karachi.
On the occasion, he directed the candidates and party workers to maximize their efforts to reach out to masses for votes in the favour of ‘Scale’ - the electoral symbol of the JI.
He said that the JI has become a very strong voice for Karachi in Pakistan, adding that the JI is the only party in the political arena that has played a very effective role for each and every issue being faced by Karachiites.
He highlighted how the JI launched campaigns for the affectees of Bahria Town and other builder mafias. He also talked about the activism by the JI for fair water and power supply, revamping infrastructure and resolving other civic issues.
Talking about the past, he compared the service by JI’s mayors Abdul Sattar Afghani and Niamatullah Khan with the political opponents of his party - who did nothing positive; instead they ruined the city for their own monetary benefits and political gains. He also directed the women workers to play their due role in educating women about the importance of casting votes in favour of the right candidates.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022