KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi and CNG rickshaws’ association jointly held a protest demonstration, demanding regularization of these rickshaws.
Addressing a protest demonstration on Friday at Nipa chawrangi, JI leader and former legislator Younus Barai said that regularization, not ban, of the rickshaws is solution of the issue.
He demanded of the government to release all those rickshaws impounded by police during the recent nefarious campaign that multiplied the miseries of Karachites, besides depriving 60 thousand people from their livelihood.
The JI leader further said that provision of transportation facilities is the responsibility of the government, while the government has been failed in fulfilling its responsibility.
He strictly criticized the government’s move to ban the rickshaws, instead of their regularization as per the court’s verdict. He termed the move as making worst joke of democratic norms.
Barai announced that the JI would not let stakeholders of the issue alone. He said that protest would continue till the restoration of the rickshaws. On the occasion, he also announced that the next protest demonstration in this regard would be held on August, 29, at Matric Board Office chawrangi at 3 pm.
Safdar Shah Qadri, president of the CNG rickshaw association, said that they had been demanding for regularization of the rickshaws but their demand was continuously neglected. He revealed that the transport and excise departments have already completed their homework in this regard, however no further action is being taken on this issue, ‘due to some reasons unknown’.
Qadri said that the court order was related to route permit, it didn’t asked that the rickshaws would not be allowed. He continued that the rickshaws were ban on the pretext of hurdles to the flow of traffic, however worst traffic jams are being witnessed despite ban on the rickshaws.
