By Our Reporter
KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Engr. Haifz Naeem-ur-Rehman has warned of the city government for agitation if the city mayor failed to deliver in coming days.
Addressing, a press conference, held at JI Karachi headquarters on Friday, he strictly criticized the local government of Karachi over it’s badly failure in the much advertised 100 days cleanliness campaign.
“JI will be monitoring the progress of the city government on daily basis and a protest drive will be launched if the local government fails to deliver,” said Engr. Naeem.
Rejecting the excuses of MQM’s City Mayor Waseem Akhtar, he said that “shortage of funds and powers” is a baseless excuse, being used by the mayor to conceal his corruption and inability. Elaborating his claim, he said that the city government has a fund of Rs 23 billion on its disposal, apart from Rs 17 to 18 billion of district councils, clocking in the total budget at around Rs 40 billion.
He said that the claims of the mayor were nothing but a poor excuse and eyewash to deceive Karachiites.
Citing the example DMC East where the district chairman got approved a double cabin vehicle for himself, he alleged that the Mayor Akhtar along with his team was plundering the taxpayers money.
He said that unfortunately today the residents of Karachi are facing the same problems as they were 100 days ago.
He said that all the taxpayers’ money spent on advertisements campaign for the drive went in vein and the cleanliness campaign was proved a nefarious attempt of political point scoring.
The JI leader said that instead of delivering, the city government was channelizing all its energies and resources to propagate that they were being deprived of their due share from resources as well as administrative powers. On the other hand, he said, the mayor and entire workforce draw salaries and receive all their due and undue perks. He further said that the city government was busy in deceiving the entire city at a time when the city of lights has become a huge heap of garbage. Sewerage lines have chocked, stagnant water and foil smell have not only ruined the life on streets but also become a very active source of diseases. He was of the view that the mayor could change the fate of the city with a budget of Rs23 billion. Comparing the current tenure with that of former city Nazim Nematullah Khan, he recalled that at that time, the city government was facing acute problems and the coalition provincial government of Muttahida Qaumi Movement as well as Pakistan People’s Party was doing their best to create hindrances for the then city government but Nematullah Khan proved himself and delivered. Khan raised the budget of Karachi from Rs 4 billion to Rs 40 billion because all the stake holders of the city showed their trust in his self because of his honesty.
He went on to say that situation of the city depicts the progress of the government as they badly failed. He said that the local bodies have manpower as well as funds but the workers are used to pursue the party’s agenda and the mayor is unable to use them for the betterment of the city. The workers, who draw salaries from the city government, charge people when asked to do some cleanliness or sewerage related work, he said and added that the situation reflects that there is an evil nexus between the lower staff and their higher-ups, including mayor.
He demanded of the government to set aside their political agenda and serve the city as this is the due rights of the citizens of Karachi. Engr. Naeem also criticized the PPP’s provincial government and expressed reservations over reports on the quality and monitory misappropriations in connection with the ongoing development works.
He said that the during the past 100 days, provincial chief minister and city mayor were contesting each other as far as photo sessions were concerned.
On the occasion, Engr. Naeem announced that the party would show before media the progress and development in Union Councils where representatives, belonging to JI were elected.
JI leader in city council Juned Nukati also spoke on the occasion. He said that the mayor was reluctant to hold the meeting of the council. He also charged Akhtar for doing nothing during past 100 days. “No new park was built, neither a new road nor cleanliness work was done during the period,” he added.