Karachi: Casting serious doubts on authenticity of the mandate of Muttahida Qaumi Movement MQM in Karachi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf here Tuesday demanded scrapping the present faulty electoral roll and make new one on the basis of computerized national identity cards CNICs. It also demanded to build Katzarah dam to end water shortage in the country.
Addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club KPC, PTI Sindh chapter ex-president Sardar Nadir Akmal Leghari said unless the people of Karachi are given true representation in assemblies the Karachi Issue could never be resolved. He said their party wants empowerment of people and they are busy to contact the masses, instead of electable people. He said their party chairman Imran Khan would soon visit Sindh province and hold many public rallies.
He said the dual local government system is a bid to divide Sindh province on rural and urban lines. He said two parties made this controversial system to achieve their own political interests. He said there should be a universal local government system in the whole country aimed at to empower the masses on the basis of merit. He demanded the right of vote to people living in Karachi on the basis of their current residential address.
Leghari, who had served as irrigation minister, also talked on the water issue. He said that due to negative perception Kalabagh Dam project is being opposed by three provinces. He said such projects should not be built as they would harm the national unity. He said at present the project of Katzarah dam, near Skardu, is the most feasible water storage project in Pakistan and the government should initiate work on it, as water scarcity is a serious issue. He said that due to corruption and nepotism people are losing confidence on not only institutions but democracy itself.
Syed Hafeezuddin Advocate, former general secretary PTI Sindh, strongly criticized Muttahida Qaumi Movement MQM and alleged that the mandate of MQM in Karachi is ‘fake’. He said delimitations in Karachi in past were purposefully changed to deprive the people of Karachi of a real representation and favour MQM candidates. He said there is dire need to end ‘artificial delimitations’ of past and make new delimitations on the basis of 18 towns and 6 cantonment boards in Karachi. He said in this way the people of Karachi would be enabled to choose their real representatives.
He said presently New Karachi Town district Central Karachi is divided in such a way that four national assembly constituencies and provincial assembly constituencies connected with them were influenced by it in New Karachi and North Karachi area. He said Lines Area and adjacent areas of district East are influencing not only the constituencies of district East but also of district South. He said this eroding the clear representation of Lines Areas and adjacent localities as the result of district South as well.
He said the Burns Road area of Saddar Town district South is annexed with the areas of Clifton and DHA across I I Chundrigar Road, but the area adjacent to Clifton and DHA, i.e., Sultanabad is neglected and annexed with Keamari Town in district West. He said in this way the Burns Road area vote does not only influence Clifton but also goes up to Lyari town. He said in the same manner Orangi Town of district West is divided in such a manner that it is spread from Baldia Town to Gadap Town. He said Malir and Gadap towns are also delimited in such as way that their true representation is seriously affected.
The PTI leaders demanded that all constituencies are required to be delimited having regard to the distribution of population in geographically compact areas, existing boundaries of administrative units, facilities of communication, public convenience and other cognate factors to ensure homogeneity in the creation of constituencies.