Thousands of Karachi residents marched to the Sindh Chief Minister House on Sunday under Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) banner, protesting the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government’s alleged incompetence, corruption, and failure to empower local bodies.
The “Karachi Rights March” began at the Karachi Press Club and culminated in a sit-in near the CM House, where police had sealed the area with containers. Despite barricades and resistance, protesters reached the venue, chanting slogans against the PPP and the city’s mayor.
JI Karachi Ameer Monem Zafar Khan demanded an immediate release of Rs500 billion for Karachi’s infrastructure, Rs2 billion per town for development, and transfer of water and waste management powers to local authorities. He also called for the completion of the K-4 water project, Green and Red Line transport systems, and the addition of 10,000 buses to address the city’s transit crisis.
Khan accused PPP and MQM of decades-long exploitation of Karachi’s resources, criticizing rigged local elections and labeling Mayor Murtaza Wahab a “puppet of feudal lords.” He condemned the Sindh government’s failure to provide basic services and accused it of betraying promises made under the NFC and 18th Amendment.
