THATTA: Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan emir Sirajul Haq has said that no one dares question Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and his party leaders about their strategy for rehabilitating flood victims as Bhutto-Zardari had promised to provide houses to the calamity-stricken people but not even a single flood-ravaged house has been rebuilt so far.

“During the tenure of the previous government they (Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl) launched a long march against rising inflation but today when people of Sindh are forced to pay Rs150 for a kilo of flour, all of them have fallen silent,” said Haq at an impressive gathering organsied by his party to mark the beginning of the campaign for upcoming local body election here on Saturday.

He lashed out at the provincial government and said that PPP had been thrust upon people of Sindh and they were hence facing a host of problems in health, education, food and security etc. The provincial government had completely failed to mitigate the impacts of flood, he said.

About prevailing state of affairs in Sindh, Haq said that despite enjoying complete support of the federal government the Sindh government had failed to provide subsidized fertilizer and seeds to flood-hit growers of the province to help them cultivate their farmland.

Questions why PTI’s opponent parties are now silent over unbridled price-hike

He said that riverine areas in northern Sindh were virtually ruled by bandits and the incapacitated Sindh police had failed to enforce state writ. The provincial government had not fulfilled even a single promise made to people of Sindh, he said.

He accused local PPP MPAs of usurping relief goods meant for distribution among internally displaced persons. The international organisations had stopped handing over aid Sindh as well as the federal government because of their worldwide notoriety for corruption.

Haq was impressed by the rich history of Thatta and said: “It was a city of intellectuals and scholars like Muhammad Hashim Thattvi etc”.

He said that Thatta was the city where culture and civilization flourished in the past but it was quite unfortunate that for the past 40 years its progress had been halted following the worst governance.

He claimed that his party was well aware of the difficulties and pain of common man because he and his workers had always lived among common folk. JI would keep advocating rights of the masses, he vowed.

Local leaders of the party, including advocate Majeed Samoon and Dr Lakhmir Palari also addressed the gathering.

Published in Dawn, january 1st, 2023