Protest on the cards, if killers of Habib Khan not arrested, warns Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman

KARACHI, Sep 15 (SABAH): Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has once again demanded of the caretaker government to ensure that killers of the elected councilor from Surjani Town area, Habib Khan, warning that otherwise the people in the area have been planning to stage strong protest.

The JI leader expressed these views while addressing a press conference held at Idara Noor-e-Haq — the JI Karachi Headquarters, on Friday. On the occasion, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also shed light in detail on the political landscape of the mega city and the bound to fail efforts to revive a dead political horse — the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. He also demanded of the government to take solid measures against criminals in urban and riverine areas of Sindh, as well as their facilitators.

Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that the government and its agencies couldn’t arrest the nominated killers of one of the elected representative during the past more than one week and the situation is a big question mark over the performance of the caretaker government, the police and other relevant governmental agencies. He said that the killers have not been arrested despite assurance by the caretaker chief minister Sindh.

He further said that Habib Khan was targeted for his struggle against the electricity hook mafia and the K-Electric duo in the area. He further said that Khan’s struggle against the electricity hook mafia will be continued by the JI.

Talking about the political landscape, he said people of Karachi and Hyderabad have rejected the MQM, so efforts by some elements to resurrect the dead horse are bound to fail.

He further said that the MQM has always betrayed Karachi and Karachiites against perks and privileges for its leaders. It has been a part of all government and supported feudal lords and their Pakistan People Party against the interests of Karachi — be it a matter of census, surrendering the powers of the local government setup or any other turning point. He held the MQM responsible for the Baldia factory inferno and appealed the apex court to punish the facilitators of the criminals as well.

Talking about the situation in the province, he said that the PPP has been ruling over the province for more than one and half decades. Bilawal Bhutto should have explained how came it become possible for dacoits in the riverine area to obtain sophisticated weapons.

The PPP has been patronizing the criminal elements in the Katcha and Paka areas of the province, he said, adding that without patronage by the political quarters, such type of elements can’t flourish in the province.  

Talking about the skyrocketing inflation, Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that the JI will be staging a historical sit-in protest outside the Sindh Governor House on October 6. He further said that the caretaker government proved itself a continuation of the previous regime when it comes to handle the inflation and biased tax regimes.

He said that the rate of inflation in the food basket has been the same even after the positive trends in the currency markets.

In this backdrop, he said, the government has been mulling to drop another electricity bombshell by increasing its price for Karachiites by over Rs10 per unit. He made it clear that any such move would not be tolerated and the caretaker government will have to face the consequence.