MUHAMMAD SHAFA
KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said that without disbanding ‘militant wings’ of political parties, lasting peace could not be restored in the city.
He was addressing a public meeting at Shahrah-e-Pakistan on Sunday night. The meeting was organised by PTI in connection with the by-election on NA-246 scheduled for 23rd of this month.
“I am here to fulfill my dream of Naya Pakistan, which is incomplete without the support of the people of Karachi,” the PTI chief said. He urged the people to come out and vote for a new Karachi and a new Pakistan to fulfill his dream.
“It will make no difference for PTI whether it wins the NA-246 seat or loses, however the aim to contest the election is to change the trend of politics in Karachi,” he added. Now onward the people cannot be forced to cost their vote against their will, he declared.
“It’s my dream to see Karachi a peaceful city, and for this purpose I am here today. I have no lust for becoming prime minister. If I had, I would have not been here rather I would be doing politics in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa like Nawaz Sharif does,” Imran said
He accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of having no concerns for Karachi. “Nawaz Sharif was elected as Prime Minister thrice in his political career, but how many time did he visit Karachi,” he questioned.
Imran said that lasting peace could not be established without disbanding the ‘militant wings’ of political parties.
PTI chief said that Karachi was the city of conscious people, who were well educated. The city is the birth place of the father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he added. However, unfortunately the politics of ‘pistol’ ruined the talent of the city. He accused Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of doing nothing for the benefit of the people of Karachi.
He asked the people to raise their voices against the party, which had miserably failed to protect their lives and property despite governing the city for the last 30 years. “Your forefathers at the time of partition had left everything including homes, relatives, lands, and businesses for a country where their lives and properties were to be protected. They really worked hard for the uplift of the new country. However, after initiation of politics in the name of ‘Mohajir’ Karachi famed various crises,” he said.
PTI candidate on NA-246 Imran Ismail while addressing the rally said that MQM claimed to be the representative party of the poor but in reality it was the party of feudals, target killers, extortionists and land grabbers. “The whole Rabita Committee is involved in land grabbing and ‘China cutting’ as admitted by MQM chief Altaf Hussain,” he alleged.
He further alleged MQM leader Babar Ghauri grabbed properties of poor and built marriage lawns. “Similarly Kunwar Naveed embezzled funds worth millions of rupees when he was mayor of Hyderabad and later he fled to Karachi. I am a son of Karachi, not an absconder,” he added.
PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that all the movements in the country originated from Karachi. “This city gives hope to the people! It is historically and culturally rich city. Karachi is economical hub of the country. It contributes 70 percent of the total country’s revenue. However, due to negligence of MQM and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) the common man is running from pillar to the post to get clean water. If the parties were sincere, poor masses would have not been subjected to 18 hours load shedding in a day,” he said.
