KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Monday warned that if the “issue of e-challan is not resolved through dialogue”, the party would have no option but to take to the streets.

This was said by JI chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman while inaugurating a healthcare unit in Gulberg Town and laying the foundation stone of Shahrah-i-Naimatullah Khan in Azizabad. Earlier, he also inaugurated a Youth Centre and Family Park in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

Hafiz Naeem said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), despite ruling Sindh for 17 years and controlling local bodies, has failed to address Karachi’s civic and transport issues. “Launching only 400 buses in 17 years cannot solve Karachi’s transport crisis,” he said, adding that many of these buses were not even operational.

He lamented that Karachi, which contributes “54 per cent of Pakistan’s exports, 67pc of national revenue, and 95pc of Sindh’s budget”, has been deprived of its rights. “Roads are broken, gutters overflow, and while a traffic fine costs Rs200 in Punjab, it goes up to Rs5,000 in Karachi,” he said.

“Only 10pc of the city’s traffic police are local citizens, and due to poor transport, over five million people are forced to ride motorcycles,” he added.

Criticising the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, Hafiz Naeem said it still operates under outdated UC boundaries. “Political contractors have destroyed this city. Projects like the Red Line BRT and Karimabad Underpass face years of delay, while roads such as Jehangir Road and 7,000-Foot Road remain in ruins,” he added. “More than half the city lacks clean drinking water, the tanker mafia thrives, and citizens suffer from 18-hour loadshedding.”

Despite “limited authority,” he said, JI’s elected representatives were striving to improve the city. “In two years, we have restored 171 parks across nine towns, rebuilt 43 government schools, installed over 100,000 streetlights, created model neighbourhoods, introduced free Wi-Fi, and started water harvesting systems,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2025