KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday assured the Jamaat-i-Islami that he would take up the issue of census of Karachi in the upcoming meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) while the Jamaat-i-Islami warned that the party would be on the streets if “fake numbers of the city’s population” were notified.

The discussion on the key issue was held during a meeting of the JI delegation with the chief minister at CM House.

The JI delegation called on the chief minister to discuss several issues mainly pertaining to Karachi’s development and urban infrastructure.

The JI Karachi chief, Hafiz Naeemur Rahman, after the meeting expressed the hope that the Pakistan Peoples Party government of Sindh would plead the case of Karachi.

Senior JI leader Dr Osama Razi and party member of the Sindh Assembly Abdul Rasheed were also part of the delegation.

“We handed over a memorandum on Karachi’s issues to the chief minister,” the JI Karachi chief said while talking to journalists after the meeting at CM House.

“Both sides discussed matters related to Karachi’s development and serious lack of basic facilities. Among all other issues, the key matter is about census. We have asked the CM that he should take up the matter of Karachi census results in the Council of Common Interests meeting, which is scheduled for November 10.”

He appreciated the chief minister’s gesture who assured the JI delegation that he would convey the reservations over the census results to the authorities concerned.

He said ‘Haq Do Karachi Ko’ campaign launched by the JI would continue and the recent meeting was part of its effort to get rights for Karachiites.

“Everyone knows that the Karachi census is a fraud,” he said. “We need to think above our political ideologies and gains for the rights of Karachi. And let me assure you that if no party comes forward, the Jamaat-i-Islami will be there for justice and protest in streets if the current census results [are] notified.”

‘Opposition ignoring Karachi’

The JI leader said it was a matter of concern that the opposition had started holding public gatherings across the country, but not a single point regarding Karachi was present in their 26-point agenda.

“We are ready to go hand in hand with other political forces subject to their sincerity with Karachi and its people,” he added.

“The Karachi referendum organised by the JI was not restricted to any party, but in fact this drive is the voice of Karachi’s citizens for their usurped rights,” said Hafiz Naeem.

He lauded the people of Karachi who came forward in big numbers and brought their point of view and grievances on the city’s issues before rulers, adding that both the federal and the Sindh governments should understand that the time had come to give Karachi its due rights.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2020