KARACHI: The Pak-Sarzameen Party (PSP) and the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Monday showed an extraordinary understanding against the recently passed Sindh Local Government [Amendment] Act 2021 when leaders of the two sides agreed to joint struggle against it amid offer from PSP chief Mustafa Kamal to join the sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly staged by the JI to “save the future of Karachi and its people.”

The PSP chief with senior leaders of his party, including Anis Kaimkhani, visited the sit-in and addressed the participants of the protest where he called for joint struggle of all parties against the “black law.” However, he took a lead of sorts by offering that he and leaders and workers of his party were ready to join the sit-in “anytime called by the JI leadership” claiming that the Sindh government would have to bow down to the “movement of justice.”

Jamaat expands its protest in different parts of Karachi

“I salute the leadership of the Jamaat-i- Islami and its workers. You deserve all applause and I am here to pay you tribute from the bottom of my heart,” Mr Kamal said. “I am here to offer you and leaders of the Jamaat that our workers and leaders across Karachi are at your disposal. You may call us at midnight and we would be here. It’s not because of any politics. It’s because that it’s a matter of life and death. It’s a matter of our generation, our children and their future.”

Welcoming the PSP chief’s gesture, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem thanked the former Karachi mayor and reciprocated that the JI would also support every protest call of Mr Kamal against the “black law.” He said the JI and the PSP had been coordinating for long and despite ideological differences the two parties had agreement that the urban centres of Sindh and other parts of the province needed an empowered local bodies system.

“I appreciate your gesture Mustafa [Kamal] Bhai,” the JI leader said. “Here from this platform I also assure you that you would find Jamaat-i-Islami and its workers along with your party on every call for the rights of the people of this city and province. We know that those who don’t want people to raise voice for their rights are now playing the dirty politics of ethnicity. But let me tell them that people can no more be made fool and presence of PSP leaders and other parties [at the sit-in] is a reflection of this truth.”

Meanwhile, just a day after the Sindh government agreed to amend the recently passed local government law, the JI on Monday further expanded it protest in different parts of the city by staging sit-ins at different key intersections of the city vowing that it would continue its campaign simultaneously while holding talks with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government.

A statement issued by the JI said that on directives of Hafiz Naeem, the party had staged sit-ins in Banaras Chowk, Numaish Chowrangi, Lasbela Chowk, Keamari and Quaiabad. The party said it was not going to weaken its campaign against the recently passed Sindh Local Government [Amendment] Act 2021 and it would continue until desired results were achieved.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2022