KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Tuesday demanded newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to focus on Karachi if he actually wanted to energise the tottering economy of the country.

Karachi JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman asked the PM to pay some heed to the metropolis. “We would suggest the new prime minister to announce the much-needed K-IV water supply project in its previous shape to supply 650 million gallon water to Karachi during his upcoming visit to the city,” he told a press conference.

“We demand newly-elected PM Shehbaz Sharif to ensure completion of all outstanding projects in the city. We all know that this Green Line project is proudly owned by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and now the party should get it completed as soon as possible.”

He also demanded the new federal government to fix K-Electric for making the lives of over 30 million Karachiites miserable while urging the new administration at the Centre to resolve the issue of the Pakistan Steel Mills.

“We have also conveyed our concerns to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh and demand the provincial government to hold a session of the Sindh Assembly for legislation on the issues agreed between the JI and PPP,” he added.

In January 2022, the JI had entered into an agreement with the Sindh government to further amend the local government (LG) law to give back control of major administrative affairs, including health and education, to the LG department. The pact was reached after a month-long sit-in held by the right wing party outside the Sindh Assembly building.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2022