The Jamaat-e-Islami’s 85 elected union committee chairmen on Sunday claimed that Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has been attempting to conceal continuous failures and poor performance through political blame-game and the distortion of facts.
In a joint response to the mayor’s recent press conference, the JI representatives said the city’s residents have been enduring the consequences of the performance of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) local government for the past three years and are fully aware of the “vast gap between official claims and ground realities”.
They said that numerous complaints regarding animal waste, garbage and poor sanitation were received from different parts of the city during Eidul Azha, while TV channels and social media platforms continued to carry images and reports of heaps of waste and filth until the fourth day of Eid.
“If arrangements were truly exemplary, why were residents across the city continuing to complain?” they said, adding that Karachi remains plagued throughout the year by overflowing garbage, broken roads, sewage issues and acute water shortages.
The UC chairmen said the mayor’s claims of “ideal cleanliness arrangements”, followed by his own admission of shortcomings, reflects a clear contradiction. They maintained that Karachi’s residents are no longer influenced by slogans, statements or publicity campaigns, but are instead seeking practical results.
The statement said residents need solutions to fundamental civic problems, including water supply, roads, sewage, transport and sanitation, rather than “political theatrics and press conferences”. It added that the Sindh government and its subordinate municipal institutions have “badly failed” in addressing urban problems, resulting in growing public frustration.
The JI leaders said the party would continue its struggle for civic rights, LG autonomy, fair use of resources and Karachi’s rightful share. They also praised JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman for consistently being a voice for the city’s residents and exposing “government incompetence and mismanagement”.
Criticising the mayor’s tone, the statement said he often resorts to “non-parliamentary and inappropriate language instead of providing serious and reasoned responses to criticism”. The UC chairmen urged him to answer questions regarding his administration’s performance rather than level “baseless allegations” against the JI. They also condemned the remarks suggesting welfare activities as a “business”, calling them irresponsible and regrettable. They defended the work of Alkhidmat Foundation, saying that the charity uses sacrificial hides, donations and public support to assist widows, orphans and underprivileged families.
The JI representatives demanded transparency regarding public land and parks in Karachi. Referring to the Hill Park and other public properties, they called for all official records, approvals and agreements to be made public.
They claimed that during previous administrations, including the tenure of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, hundreds of parks, playgrounds and welfare plots had been used for vested interests, and said that similar concerns are now emerging under the PPP government.
“If everything related to the Hill Park’s land is lawful, why did the KMC issue a no-objection certificate?” they asked, demanding that the details of any approvals, land-use changes or commercial utilisation of public spaces be disclosed immediately.
