KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq on Sunday made it clear that his party would offer a ‘third option’ to the people instead of being part of politics spearheaded by the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

“We will not be a part of the politics of PPP and the PML-N, instead we’ll remain in the middle of people as a third option on our own platform,” he said while addressing people gathered at New M.A. Jinnah Road after culmination of a rally that began at Sohrab Goth.

The rally, Karachi ko izzat do, Karachi to huqooq do (Give respect and rights to Karachi), was organised by the JI as part of its campaign that the JI leadership said would vie for better amenities and civic facilities for the country’s financial hub.

JI rally demands federal and provincial governments give Karachi its due rights

Organisers said the rally was also against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government’s policies that led to unprecedented price hike, “slavery to the International Monetary Fund” and the anti-poor federal budget.

JI-Sindh chief Mohammad Hussain Mehanti and others also spoke.

The participants in the rally also passed a resolution in which they demanded that the federal and provincial governments accord due rights to the city and solve the decades-long problems that had made the country’s largest city as a place of accommodating mobs amid constantly convoluting mess.

Senator Haq said the country had become a mess of so many problems that even breathing had become a problem to tinker with.

PTI govt, MQM-P slammed

He said the PTI-led federal government had no economic vision.

“How can they improve this economy by selling eggs and goats? They have not just got their tongues that have slipped out but they have lost very understanding that is required to salvage a sinking ship,” said the JI chief.

He said a country whose economy was based on interest could not progress and prosper.

He said billions of rupees had been kept in the budget for paying interest on debts. “How the country could move forward without getting rid of the interest-based economy?”

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government had promised to build five million houses, but they conveniently forgot that promise and did not even offer five million tents to people who were in need of shelter.

He said India was Pakistan’s enemy and no friendship was possible with India until the Kashmir issue was resolved.

He said Sunday’s march was the beginning of a movement in which his party would raise voice against the issues that were directly affecting the common man.

Criticising the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the JI chief said the party had got perks and privileges as two of its MNAs were made federal ministers and another ministry had been promised to it.

But, despite claiming that it represented Karachi, the MQM leadership did not discuss the city’s issues in the cabinet, he alleged

He said the MQM had started a campaign demanding water for the city after it realised that the present local governments were completing their tenures.

He said the city was facing all sorts of problems, which included infrastructure, water, sanitation and transport, etc.

Senator Haq claimed that the government had prepared the new budget with the assistance and at dictate of the IMF. “We are a free nation and will not accept slavery of IMF and the World Bank.”

He thanked the people of Karachi for turning in huge numbers and gave the movement a positive start. “Our movement will continue till the people of this great city and the rest of the country get their rights.”

He said the next ‘Awami March’ would be organised in Multan on July 12.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2019