As this year’s spell of monsoon rains wreaks havoc in Karachi, flooded roads and houses, clogged drains and power outages have been disrupting Karachiites’ routine for the past few days.
Amid all this, the city’s residents found themselves in added misery as there is also hours-long power outages. Most of them have taken to Twitter to share the current situation of the city and express their outrage over the situation. K-electric has said that “power will be restored as soon as it is safe to do”.
Rains stopped af 9pmanx water drained by 10pm. @KElectricPk but our supply is remains off. Why,!? No reply to dm or tweets either. Why,? Why is @KElectricPk not restoring our supply and until when are we to wait, sleepless in the dark??
Actor Ushna Shah also tweeted: “Excuses excuses guys. No flooding in Phase 6 and no power since almost 20 hours now.” She added that DM (direct message) is also of no use.
It hasn't even rained that much in PECHS block 2 compared to the other areas and there is no water stranded anywhere in the entire block 2 and 3 area still there is no light since 11am yesterday.
Later, K-Electric said that “several areas remain inaccessible due to high water level” and that “power will continue to remain closed until all standing water is cleared”.
While power has been restored where possible, KE teams are coordinating with relevant authorities to ensure swift power restoration to other locations. Power will continue to remain closed until all standing water is cleared. #SafetyFirst#HumAapHain (2/2)
With rains lashing Karachi, as many as 19 people died in various rain-related incidents in the port city on Thursday, taking the tally of deaths during the three-day monsoon spell in the city to 30.
Meteorological officials said downpours in August have shattered the 90-year-old record for the city. Some 484mm (19 inches) of rain has fallen this month so far, 130mm on Thursday alone, they said.
According to data released by the Met Office, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Faisal Base recorded 130 millimetres of rain while Nazimabad has recorded 105.6mm since Thursday morning. Mausamiyat received 74.3mm of rain, while Saadi Town recorded 72mm. About 98.5mm of rain was recorded in PAF Masroor Base, Surjani received 73mm while Kemari recorded 82.5mm.
Many major arteries witnessed severe traffic jams. Power was suspended in several areas as a precautionary measure, a K-Electric spokesperson said. Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Suhail Rajput urged people not to leave their homes during the spell which, according to a Met Office prediction, is expected to continue for another two days.
Videos and photos making rounds on social media showed submerged cars and motorcycles and water entering houses and buildings, wreaking havoc in the provincial capital.
Given the devastation in Karachi, several celebrities and notable personalities including Feroze Khan, Shahid Afridi, Fatima Bhutto, Ayesha Omar, Samina Peerzada and Ali Safina have lashed out at the Sindh Government for being incompetent and “destroying” the city.
Feroze expressed his outrage by hitting out at PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and demanding answers from him and his government.
– do you even know anything? What’s been up all these years in Sindh ? What’s your party been really doing handing out ajrak’s ?? Where did the tax go ? Zero infrastructure ?? My city and the people both are underwater Mr.Zardari. https://t.co/f4wlrn4zXS
When a Twitter user asked him to hold the PTI government accountable as well, Khan said that they “have literally just come in and I at least can’t expect them to over night work everything around”.
– they have literally just come in and I at least can’t expect them to over night work everything around and turn this place into Dubai ? PPP and MUSLIM LEAGUE (N) should be held responsible. https://t.co/AQqzu3fK4O
Former captain Shahid Afridi expressed his disappointment with the management and those in charge of the city.
“Who will save Karachi,” questioned the cricketer. It is pertinent to mention here that Afridi’s foundation Shahid Afridi Foundation has stepped up to help those affected by the flooding in the city.
کاش دنیا کے کسی میٹروپولیٹن سے ہی سیکھ لیں، مصنوعی جھیلیں بنا لیں۔ کیا یہ ہمارا قصور ہے کہ رہنے کے لئے اس شہر کا انتخاب کیا، یہاں ٹیکس دیتے ہیں لیکن بدلے میں انتظامیہ کون سی ذمہ داری پوری کرتی ہے؟ کراچی کو کچراچی بنانے والوں کے گریبان پر ہاتھ کون ڈالے گا؟ #WhoWillSaveKarachihttps://t.co/2VpaUozk97
With the videos I’m seeing, the stories I’m hearing, its a National Emergency situation. People are homeless, stuck on the streets, or being swept away. Are there relief packages being prepared? Is help coming? When? @MuradAliShahPPP#SindhGovt#KarachiSinks#KarachiRain
#Karachi had an estimated GDP of $164 billion approximately 25% of the national GDP. The metropolitan city, The financial hub of #Pakistan dose not deserve to be treated like this. Sorry #Karachi corrupt politicians and negligence has brought you down to this #FixKarachi
Please Karachi walo, issay bhoolna mat!!🙏🏼I've seen the city move on because they've gotten to see this too often and they've learnt to move on but not this time. #KarachiRains
An absolutely heartbreaking state of affairs! #Karachi needs immediate attention followed by urgent corrective action. The situation resulting from the absolute apathy of those in positions power must change. Enough of all the tall claims – time to walk the talk.
Meanwhile, other celebrities including Humayun Saeed, Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram, Farhan Saeed, Ali Rehman Khan, Ali Zafar, Bilal Ashraf, Hira Mani and Maya Ali sent prayers for the city and those affected by the catastrophic rains.
Prayers for everyone's safety and well-being. Please help anyone you can in whatever way possible in this extremely challenging situation. May Allah protect us all
Can’t believe the footage coming out of Karachi. Bypass’ filled with water, ship containers & cars floating down highways, back yards become pools & street turned into rivers: The city that has no water is now under water. My Prayers are with you Karachi
Dear All, it is extreme rain today, the Hub Dam has already overflow.Take special care, don't take this rain as fun, Karachi is not capable to deal with it. Stay Indoors, Stay Safe, take care of all people around you ..ALLH pak sab ko apni amaan mey rakhay ameen
– I have been hearing nothing but absolutely gruesome accounts of people grappling with the Monsoon back home. Hope everyone is doing the best to keep safe, let this be the end of our trials and prayers for all! #StaySafeStayHome#KarachiNeedsAttention#KarachiRains
Seeing images & videos of my city drowning. So heartbreaking to see no one own Karachi. The city that gives so much, has lost when it needed us yet again. I pray for everybody in my city , please stay safe. Ya ALLAH Karachi ko iss mushkil waqt se bachayen, Aameen. #KarachiRains
As many as 19 people died in various rain-related incidents in the port city on Thursday, taking the tally of deaths during the three-day monsoon spell in the city to 30.
While blame games continue as authorities hesitate to take responsibility for the lack of monsoon infrastructure in the country’s largest city, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wants all stakeholders to contribute in ameliorating the situation instead of politicising a “pure natural disaster”.
As of yesterday Sindh had seen its worst monsoons in 90years. Today super monsoon torrential rains & floods continue unabated. Please keep all those in your thoughts who have already been working 24/7 to assist citizens during this record breaking unprecedented natural disaster.
Meteorological officials said downpours in August have shattered the 89-year-old record for the city. Some 484mm (19 inches) of rain has fallen this month so far, 130mm on Thursday alone, they said.
According to data released by the Met Office, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Faisal Base recorded 130 millimetres of rain while Nazimabad has recorded 105.6mm since Thursday morning. Mausamiyat received 74.3mm of rain, while Saadi Town recorded 72mm. About 98.5mm of rain was recorded in PAF Masroor Base, Surjani received 73mm while Kemari recorded 82.5mm.
Many major arteries witnessed severe traffic jams. Power was suspended in several areas as a precautionary measure, a K-Electric spokesperson said.
Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Suhail Rajput urged people not to leave their homes during the spell which, according to a Met Office prediction, is expected to continue for another two days.
Videos and photos making rounds on social media showed submerged cars and motorcycles and water entering houses and buildings, wreaking havoc in the provincial capital.
PPP is running Sindh & thus Karachi for the past 12 years; Bilwal needs to focus to understand & resolve Karachi's problems before saying a single word about any other issue – this is where test of his intelligence & leadership rests; Karachi can make him "National Leader" pic.twitter.com/x17U3hmQM2
Containers that were put for security purpose on MA Jinnah Road #Karachi for upcoming processions going for a swim. Uncontrollable and dangerous for cars, pedestrians already stuck on the roads. pic.twitter.com/zRkkaWpUVt
Scores of social media users, including Federal Minister Ali Zaidi, posted videos and pictures showing Defence Housing Authority flooded with rainwater after heavy showers pounded the city for hours.
“This is DHA KHI,” Zaidi wrote on Twitter, adding, “Bang in front of my house- which is now partly flooded- but many homes in the neighborhood are under 4 feet of water”.
This is DHA Phase 6 Karachi. What is happening in the low lying areas of KHI today is devastating yet once again. Testing times for Karachiites yet again! No doubt Allah tests those he loves the most.#KarachiRain#KarachiSinks#RainEmergencypic.twitter.com/MEBgRxWMCs
“May Allah have mercy on those who live in low lying areas of this city,” he said in another tweet.
“This is DHA Phase 6 Karachi. What is happening in the low-lying areas of KHI today is devastating yet once again. Testing times for Karachiites yet again! No doubt Allah tests those He loves the most,” he said in another tweet.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, in a tweet, said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is monitoring the situation that has arisen in Karachi due to the torrential rains.
Briefed PM @ImranKhanPTI over Sindh rain situation, Karachi needs special attention. This is unusual and abnormal rain situation which requires emergency response. PM is monitoring the situation and assured to take any action required.
“Briefed PM Imran Khan over Sindh rain situation, Karachi needs special attention. This is an unusual and abnormal rain situation which requires an emergency response. PM is monitoring the situation and assured to take any action required,” tweeted Ismail.
The premier himself has also tweeted over the disastrous situation in the port city.
Have directed Chairman NDMA to immediately not only rescue stranded ppl, but also provide emergency medical assistance, food & shelter to all those in need. I have also asked NDMA Chairman to ensure restoration of utilities on an emergency basis.
In a subsequent tweet, he said that a plan for a permanent solution to the problems facing the people of Karachi will also soon be announced.
RELIEF, RESCUE OPERATION CONTINUES:
In a statement, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that many areas were inundated and people stranded due to heavy rains in various parts of Sindh.
An Army Flood Emergency Control Centre has been established in Karachi for assisting flood victims while a medical camp has been set up at the district centre of Gulberg, Liaquatabad and New Karachi for providing necessary medical care, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
It said the dewatering of more than 36 sites in Karachi had been completed while cooked meals covering 10,000 people had been distributed among flood victims in various areas.
The following telephone numbers can be contacted for immediate assistance by the army:
• 021-34491082
• 021-99247267
• 021-99207795
Meanwhile, army engineers completed the enhancement of the bund along M9 near the Northern Bypass to avoid flooding.
Army troops also filled a breach in the Malir River near Quaidabad, according to the ISPR. “Pakistan Army engineer boats are busy shifting people to safer places,” the statement said.
A relief and medical camp has also been established in Latifabad area of Hyderabad. Food was provided to the affected population while army engineers were busy in dewatering various areas, it added.
According to the ISPR, army troops “have been forwardly placed at Dadu for any eventuality and spillover at Nai Gaj Dam”.
The banks of Puran Nullah in tehsil Jhudo of Mirpurkhas district had been damaged due to heavy rains, as a result of which water entered the nearest five villages. However, the breach was plugged with the combined efforts of army troops and civil administration to stop the flow of water to these areas, the ISPR said.
The statement came a day after the army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, directed Karachi crops to step up flood relief operations.
#COAS directed karachi Corps to step up flood relief operations to assist affected people due to recent rains in interior Sindh and #Karachi. “Troops must reach out to affected population in distress and extend all necessary care”, COAS.
Meanwhile, the personnel of Pakistan Rangers Sindh continued the relief and rescue operation in the rain-affected areas of Karachi in a coordinated manner.
According to the Rangers spokesperson, the Rangers constituted separate teams for relief and rescue work to carry out the operation in a faster manner while reserve teams were also present in various areas to deal with any kind of emergency.
Rations were also being distributed in the areas where food supply is low with the help of philanthropists.
Rangers asked the people to contact Rangers helpline 1101, Rangers check post or WhatsApp number 0347-9001111 for immediate assistance regarding rescue or relief.
Pakistan Navy’s rescue and relief operation also continued in various parts of the city during heavy spell of rain.
Pakistan Navy Emergency Response and rescue teams evacuated stranded people to safer places and recovered bodies being washed away in flash flood, a Pakistan Navy press release said.
In assistance to civil administration, Pakistan Navy Emergency Response teams along with boats and requisite life-saving equipment were deployed in different areas of the city, including Diamond City Malir, Shah Faisal Town, Korangi Crossing, Sammo goth and Bahria Town Karachi.
During search and rescue operations, Pakistan Navy divers recovered two dead bodies from Shah Faisal Town and Korangi crossing areas while 55 individuals were evacuated from flooded areas of Malir and Korangi crossing. Besides, Rescue teams have also evacuated 20 families stranded in Sammo Goth and shifted them to safe place.
Pakistan Navy’s helicopter conducted aerial recce of Korangi crossing, Quaidabad (Malir nadi), and Goth Shafi Muhammad while aerial recce with the help of a quadcopter was also carried out in Saddar Town in support of relief operations to localise individuals requiring assistance. Additionally, ration bags and cooked meal was also dropped at various areas.
FLIGHT SCHEDULE DISRUPTED:
Meanwhile, the flight schedule was disrupted at Jinnah International Airport Karachi due to rough weather and heavy rainfall. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the suspension of a number of its flights on Thursday due to torrential rains in the port city.
A Lahore-bound private airline flight-522 and Islamabad bound PK-368 flight have been delayed, said the CAA spokesperson.
Moreover, Karachi to Faisalabad flight PK-540 and Lahore-bound Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight PK-304 have also been delayed.
NETWORK OUTAGES AMID POWER BREAKDOWN:
The national telecom regulator informed on Friday that cellular services in the city were not blocked and outages faced by users were due to the prolonged power breakdown.
Speaking to Geo, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) spokesperson Khurram Mehran said, “Due to prolonged power failure in the city, many towers are out of service and their generators are shut because there’s no fuel to power them.”
Mehran said the blockages have nothing to do with Muharram security, as was being speculated in some circles.
The power utility, K-Electric, meanwhile claimed that its teams were working to the best of their ability to deal with the current circumstances and restore electricity with limited available resources.
Many KE vehicles got stuck in flooded roads and streets across the city. Also, our staff is working in long shifts because relievers were unable to make into service centers due to water logging. 2/3
“Many KE vehicles got stuck in flooded roads and streets across the city. Also, our staff is working in long shifts because relievers were unable to make it to service centers due to water logging,” the company said in a statement issued earlier today.
KE therefore warned that restoration work may take longer than expected time as the situation remains ‘difficult’.
HUB DAM FILLS TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY:
The water level in Hub Dam, which supplies water to Karachi and meets the water needs of several areas in Balochistan, crossed the 339-foot mark yesterday and filled to its maximum capacity for the first time in 13 years.
The water level in the dam had risen due to the recent spell of torrential rains in Karachi and Sindh and the dam has now begun to flow out from the spillways into the sea near Mubarak Village.
The WAPDA administration had earlier closed the Hub Dam to visitors in view of health hazards. However, residents of the settlements around the dam, residents of the Hub Dam Residential Colony, Karachi residents and others arrived in large numbers in the spillway area to witness the streams overflowing, which look much like waterfalls.
In the catchment area of Hub Dam, which stretches up to the mountain range of Balochistan, the water level has risen by more than 9 feet in three days.
Heavy rain pounded in Karachi for hours today (Thursday), flooding roads and underpasses and creating chaos in the port city.
According to the Met Office, Karachi experienced record torrential rains this year and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has declared an emergency across the province while roof-collapse, electrocution and drowning incidents make headlines. Power outages are also spelling misery for residents of the city.
Many people took to social media to show the current situation in the port city.
Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 27, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.
‘PML-N Ko Pakistan Bananay Ki Sazaa’
It has been reported by Daily Jang that PML-N senior leader Ahsan Iqbal has said,“Muslim League Noon ko Pakistan bananay ki sazaa mil rahi hai… humein yaqeen hai Askari idaro ka hukoomat ki intaqami karwaiyo se koi taaluq nahi.”
‘PPP K Sindh Mein 12 Saal’
According to Daily Jang, MQM-P leader Khushbakht Shujaat has said, “Karachi ki abaadi aur raqba itna barra hai k isay alehda intazami unit banana hoga… Sindh hukoomat ne 12 saal se districts ko share nahi dia.
‘Nawaz Sharif Ki Siyasat Mein Wapsi’
It was reported by Daily Dunya that former attorney general Irfan Qadir has said, “Nawaz Sharif pr NAB ki janib se dabaao barhta jaa rha hai. NAB mein Maryam Nawaz ki paishi se zahir hota tha k shayad Nawaz Sharif siyasat mein active honay jaa rahay hain.”
Claim: Viral video showed that in Karachi, a man jumped into accumulated rainwater from the rooftop of his building
Fact: Video was taken from an Indian Youtube channel and was published two days earlier
With rain wreaking havoc across Sindh and flooding roads across provincial capital Karachi yet again, a viral video has shown a man jumping into rainwater from a rooftop, which according to The Current’s verification, is not from Karachi.
As per the details, the video showing a man jumping from the rooftop of a residential building into accumulated rainwater first surfaced on Sunday evening. It wasn’t later that it broke the internet by Monday afternoon as it was widely shared by people claiming it to be a scene from Karachi.
However, going the extra mile to dig out facts regarding the video, The Current ascertained that it was actually a video from the Indian city of Mumbai, and was uploaded to an Indian YouTube channel two days ago, on August 23.
While the said video is not from Karachi, the port city is still submerged owing to lack of proper monsoon infrastructure there.
Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah has declared an emergency across the province while roof-collapse, electrocution and drowning incidents make headlines.
In Karachi, Malir, Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Saadi Town, Liaquatabad, Federal B Area, North Karachi, Surjani Town and North Nazimabad are some of the areas that are underwater after receiving heavy rainfall since Monday night.
Power outages are also spelling misery for the people of the country’s largest city.
The Sindh Wildlife Department has clarified that no crocodiles have escaped from the shrine of Mangho Pir and the pictures being circulated on social media are fake.
The department shared a video of the areas where the crocodiles were reportedly seen and of the Manghopir Shrine where the crocodiles live. Officials of the Sindh Wildlife Department said that after doing a survey of the area, they concluded that no crocodile escaped the shrine during the rains.
Sindh Wildlife Officials Hasnain & Naeem, deputed for covering wildlife issues within Karachi city premises rushed 2 shrine of 'Mangho Pir' on news spread on social media regarding escape of sacred crocodile having historical significance with the shrine The news proved baseless! pic.twitter.com/K5uYKhr2a3
Officials present at the shrine further said that the crocodiles cannot escape the enclosures as the cages are high, adding that CCTV cameras have also been installed to keep a check on everything happening at the shrine.
News of crocodiles on the loose in the Karachi began to do the rounds on social media after rain water flooded the streets of Karachi. PTI MNA Aamir Liaquat also shared a picture of a crocodile and asked residents of Surjani Town, Khuda Ki Basti and Nayi Karachi to be careful.
گزشتہ روز کی موسلا دھار بارش کے بعد منگھوپیر (پیر جمن شاہ بخاری) کے مزار کے احاطے میں پلے ہوئے مگر مچھ پانی کے بہاؤ کے ساتھ شہری آبادی کی طرف نکل گئے, سرجانی ٹاؤن, خدا کی بستی اور نئی کراچی میں رہنے والے احتیاط سے کام لیں pic.twitter.com/c5w1AuW1Yf
Some social media users have claimed that the picture is from Philippines. The Current could not independently verify this claim.
Isn't it shameless that former MQM MNA (which ruled on Karachi for decades) and currently from PTI (which is in power & has 14 MNAs out of 21 in city), posting 3 years old picture from Philippines with caption "crocodiles on roads of Karachi after rain" to criticise Sindh Govt? https://t.co/8VaRBmc5Vfpic.twitter.com/8OGaH1hvkP
According to a report published in 2018, the Mangho Pir shrine is home to over 100 crocodiles that waddle between the devotees near a swampy green pond where they have lived for generations.
Meanwhile, heavy rain has inundated Karachi and lack of proper infrastructure has submerged half the city.
Situation in Karachi at Nagan chowrangi. Waqt agiya hai Karachi wale sab nikle aur bhutto ko bilawal house se bahar nikal kar sarak per latka den https://t.co/9omD6YLRsd
Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal has claimed that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is trying to occupy Karachi, warning that if it did so, the people would take the Sindh government away from it as well.
Addressing a protest amid heavy rain a day after the Sindh cabinet approved the creation of a seventh district in the city, Kamal said neither the “Sindh card” nor the “Muhajir card” would work anymore.
“We will never allow our motherland, Sindh, to be divided and nor will we let anyone rip its heart, Karachi,” he stated.
“The PPP is fanning ethnic hatred in the province, but we will thwart every conspiracy hatched by it or the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) to create rifts between Sindhis and Muhajirs for their own political gains.”
Kamal claimed that the PPP-led provincial government always made decisions on ethnic grounds, pointing to changes in National Assembly seats in the city following the census.
‘65% FUNDS USED IN OTHER PROVINCES GENERATED IN KARACHI’:
Separately, The Express Tribune has quoted Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar as claiming that approximately 65 per cent of developmental funds used in other provinces are generated in Karachi but the port city remains neglected.
Inaugurating a library and art gallery at Markaz-e-Islami in Aisha Manzil, he said that people of Karachi paid Rs1,100 to Rs1,200 in taxes, but received nothing in return.
Akhtar maintained that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had spent all the funds at its disposal to facilitate the people. “We tried our best to carry out uplift works despite having limited resources.”
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that taking action against his friend and colleague Jahangir Khan Tareen over the sugar scandal hurt him like dropping his cousin and former Pakistan cricketer Majid Khan from the team.
“These were two of the hardest decisions I ever had to make in my life,” he said while speaking to senior journalist Kamran Khan during a wide-ranging interview on Dunya News.
To a question regarding the inquiry into the sugar crisis, the premier said Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) had “threatened Wajid Zia, warning him to stop whatever he was doing”. He said that it thought that the government would buckle if the sugar prices rose.
“I will fight the sugar mafia,” he added.
The PM noted that sugar sales in Punjab doubled in July but it emerged that it was being sent from Punjab to Sindh.
“The PTI is not in power in Sindh so they are hoarding sugar there,” he explained. “The Sharifs, the Zardaris, and many other politicians own sugar mills.”
“They can blackmail me as much as they want but I will not let off the hook unless and until they abide by the law,” the premier said, adding that the public institutions would make a decision on the sugar inquiry report.
He then mentioned his longtime friend Tareen, saying he “did the most with me in my struggle over the past seven to eight years”.
PM Imran also categorically denied that Pakistan would recognise Israel — a few days after the UAE established formal relations with Tel Aviv — stating that Islamabad won’t do so until Palestinians are not given their right to a “just settlement”.
“Whichever country wants to do it [recognise Israel], our stance is very clear. Our stance was cleared by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1947-48,” said PM Imran. “Which was that we will never recognise Israel till the Palestinians do not get their rights.”
He said that Pakistan will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel till the Palestinians do not get a separate state of their own, which the people of Palestine accept, based on the Two-Nation Theory.
The premier said that if Pakistan agreed to recognising Israel and gave up its principled stance then it will have to stop raising the issue of Kashmir as the situation in the disputed area was the same.
“Hence, Pakistan cannot recognise Israel,” he stated.
The premier said Karachi would have progressed if not for the ethnic politics of the 1980s.
Earlier today, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, a leader of the ruling PTI’s coalition partner, the MQM-P, had said a committee to resolve Karachi’s problems was not a solution.
It was reported late last week that the federal and Sindh governments had agreed on forming a committee comprising representatives of the city’s three main stakeholders — the ruling PTI, PPP, and the MQM-P — to address the metropolis’ longstanding civic issues.
In his comments today, the premier said looking at the port city in its current state was painful. “The MQM-P founder spread hatred among people [of Karachi] and divided them; he wreaked havoc in Karachi.”
“The situation in Karachi is dire,” he added.
He said he has approached the courts on the issue of local government system in Sindh.
“I intervene in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because we have the PTI’s government there,” the premier explained, adding that if the Centre intervened in Sindh, the provincial leadership “will make a fuss”.
“We are going to do whatever we can for Karachi,” he vowed.
Speaking about his political career, PM Imran said his “whole life had been spent in struggle”. “I was nine years old when I started this struggle,” he added.
“Those who do not know how to struggle falter,” the PM underlined.
Referring to the time he was voted into office, he said Pakistan was close to defaulting, the public institutions were destroyed and the rupee weakened.
“Depreciation of the rupee leads to inflation,” he said, adding that the government was paying instalments for the loans the rulers of the past had obtained.
He said that while he was attempting to make the country a welfare state, the elites gathered and are trying to overthrow the government.
With regard to power, the premier said electricity in Pakistan was costlier but sold at a cheaper rate, noting that “we are producing the most expensive electricity in the world”.
If electricity prices had not been revised upwards, the country would have had to take loans, he noted.
A comprehensive power policy is set to be introduced in a couple of weeks, he added.
Speaking of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister said many people talked about how he did not understand the crisis.
“Our party and the Opposition leaders kept saying that everything should be shut down during the corona [virus pandemic],” he noted. “A strict lockdown was imposed in Sindh; that was their [provincial government’s] right after the 18th Amendment.”
“We had to endure a month of criticism during corona,” he said. “I told Bill Gates that we saved our lower class by imposing a smart lockdown,” he added.
Referring to Pakistan’s anti-graft watchdog, the National Accountability Bureau, he said: “We’re not dictating [NAB’s actions].”
Speaking of the Opposition parties, the PM said their leaders had only one goal and that was to blackmail him. “Should I have given them NRO,” he asked rhetorically.
He said the Opposition parties wished to do away with clauses that would eventually bring an end to NAB. They were also blackmailing the government over legislation related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), he added.
Throwing a jibe at the PML-N vice-president, he noted that there was stone-pelting when Maryam Nawaz was going to NAB’s office in Lahore for an appearance.
“They go to the NAB as if Nelson Mandela is going to NAB.”
“We are strengthening the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency],” the prime minister said, adding that the accusation against the Punjab chief minister pertaining to alcohol licensing was a “joke”.
The chief executive of the biggest province, Punjab, was summoned over the alcohol licensing issue but excise department’s officials should have been called, he noted.
Summoning Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar led to suspicions, he lamented.
“Attacks are launched at Usman Buzdar and that makes me very sad,” he said. “He has become the chief minister for the first time and he is learning,” he said, adding that Punjab was making rapid progress.
The second street library of Karachi will be inaugurated on Independence Day (today) at Baloch Chowk in Lyari.
As per reports, the first street library with over 600 books was inaugurated on December 25, last year on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The street library in Lyari has been set up at Baloch Chowk in alliance with the District Municipal Corporation (DMC) South.
Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani is going to inaugurated the street library today.
The city administration had started its work to establish the second street library from July 05 this year.
The first street library of Karachi is located at the Commissioner’s Corner at Metropole. The library was inaugurated by Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah.
Not only Karachi, Hyderabad is also going to get its first street library on the Independence Day of Pakistan which is being celebrated across the country today.
The Hyderabad administration has developed a street library at the city’s iconic “Thandi Sadak”.
