- Sh Waqas Akram regrets ‘City of Lights’ and financial backbone of Pakistan, reduced to a pound city due to decades of systematic neglect
- Vows support for people of Karachi amid catastrophic floods
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expressed deep anguish over the devastating situation in Karachi, once known as the City of Lights and the financial backbone of Pakistan, now reduced to a pound city due to decades of systematic neglect.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, slammed the Sindh government for its apathy, mismanagement, and years of neglect that have turned Karachi—Pakistan’s vital port city—into a city of wreckage and ruin. He said that even moderate rainfall was enough to submerge vast parts of the metropolis, claiming dozens of lives and paralyzing essential infrastructure, exposing the government’s complete failure to serve its people.
Waqas stated that this catastrophe was not a result of nature alone but a direct outcome of criminal mismanagement, decades of corruption, and utter apathy by the ruling elite that has held Sindh hostage for over 30 years.
He further stated that the rains have merely exposed what the people of Karachi have endured for years—an absolute absence of a drainage system, waste management, mass transit infrastructure, and any form of accountability, adding that vehicles were seen floating through streets, homes were inundated, people electrocuted by exposed wires, and families left stranded without electricity, food, or communication—while the Sindh government remained completely absent and indifferent.
PTI CIS said that the imposed Sindh government, along with the unmandated MQM, has done absolutely nothing to address Karachi’s pressing needs. He noted that billions in development funds have disappeared without a trace, while the ground reality remains unchanged—broken roads, clogged drainage systems, and garbage piling up on every street corner.
He lamented that despite being home to over 20 million citizens and contributing over 60% to Pakistan’s revenue, Karachi has been deliberately neglected, adding that the city is punished year after year for not voting for the ruling party. “It is no secret that unelected, incompetent figures have been imposed on the city, sidelining its real leadership and betraying its democratic mandate, which is the PTI.
Waqas emphasized that this is not governance—it is occupation. He said the Sindh government has completely failed to deliver even the most basic municipal services. “Where has the taxpayers’ money gone?” he asked, highlighting that the Rangers have been deployed in Karachi for over two decades to handle civic responsibilities, which is unprecedented. He added that despite this extraordinary measure, the provincial government still has no plan or intent to take control of the city’s affairs, exposing its utter incompetence and lack of will.
He noted that while PTI does not believe in politicizing natural disasters, this was not merely a natural calamity—it was the direct result of three decades of systematic neglect and destruction. PTI CIS stated that Karachi has never been a priority for the PPP or MQM, simply because the people of the city did not vote for them, adding that in return, these parties have punished the metropolis through deliberate underdevelopment and administrative abandonment.
Waqas vowed that PTI and its leadership would not abandon Karachi or its people in this time of crisis. He affirmed that the party stands shoulder to shoulder with the residents and will continue to support them in overcoming these challenging times.
PTI CIS lashed out at the fake and imposed regime in the center for its sheer incompetence and failure to even arrange a meeting between the unlawfully incarcerated PTI Patron-in-Chief, Imran Khan, and his sisters. He said this inability reflects the regime’s helplessness and powerlessness, despite its loud claims of seeking dialogue and a negotiated settlement to the ongoing political crisis. He said that the denial of a basic, humane request further exposed the hollow nature of the government’s rhetoric and its continued attempts to suppress democratic voices through coercion, censorship, and vindictive political victimization.
However, he made it clear that PTI will continue its just struggle to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution, defend the rule of law, and ensure the real independence of the judiciary. He also reaffirmed the party’s unwavering demand for the immediate release of all political prisoners, including its Patron-in-Chief, Imran Khan, emphasizing that their fight is for justice, democracy, and the rights of the people.
