Summary Says essential sectors, including education, fall under the local government system, but local government institutions remain dependent on provincial governments for authority and resources.
KARACHI (Dunya News) - Jamaat-e-Islami emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has called on Karachi residents to raise their voices for the resolution of the city’s longstanding problems, criticising the provincial government over the performance of local government institutions and delays in major development projects.
Addressing a ceremony, Hafiz Naeem said that essential sectors, including education, fall under the local government system, but local government institutions remain dependent on provincial governments for authority and resources.
He criticised the repeated delays in local government elections, saying the election date had been announced for the fifth time in Islamabad while polls had not been held in Punjab. He added that political leaders who criticise the system were also cooperating with it and shared responsibility for the situation.
Highlighting Karachi’s water crisis, the JI chief said the K-4 water supply project had remained incomplete since 2005. He argued that timely completion could have ensured water supplies to households through regular connections rather than tankers.
He also questioned the delay in the S-3 sewerage project, which he said had remained unfinished for 12 years. Similarly, he pointed out that the Green Line project, launched in 2016, was still incomplete, while work on the Red Line had worsened traffic conditions on the city's main thoroughfare.
Referring to the Karachi Circular Railway, Hafiz Naeem said that although eight openings had been made, the project had yet to become operational despite its inauguration by Sheikh Rashid.
He further criticised the state of education and healthcare facilities in the city, saying Sindh has around 41,000 schools, including approximately 3,500 in Karachi, most of which remain under provincial government control. He recalled that schools were previously managed under the tenure of former Karachi mayor Naimatullah Khan, claiming that significant improvements had been made during that period.
According to Hafiz Naeem, Karachi's share in provincial financial resources had declined from 76 per cent to 18 per cent. He also claimed that around 92 per cent of the funds allocated to town administrations were consumed by salary payments, leaving limited resources for development work.
Commenting on recent political developments, he referred to Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's meeting with foreign ambassadors and questioned what was presented to them about Karachi's situation.
