Imran Khan rebukes PPP for lingering civic-issues in Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday rebuked major political parties, including Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), in Sindh for the environmental degradation and lack of basic facilities to the inhabitants of province.

Addressing media at Karachi Press Club (KPC), Khan said the revenue, which is generated from the city, is not being utilized to improve the living conditions of people in the city.

He noted that the local bodies in the city have limited resources, as what he said, the city needs an empowered local body system to tackle the prevailing civic-issues.

“One of the major problems the city is facing is limited resources to the local bodies,” he observed.

Casting doubts on sincerity of local political parties with Karachiites, Khan said every party served their vested interests after coming into power.

Turning guns on Sindh police, the PTI chief deplored the staged encounter of 27-year-old youth Naqeeb Mehsud from South Waziristan in Karachi.

He said the police have been used to settle scores against the opponents, while calling for reforms in the police department.

Earlier today, he reached Jinnah International Airport in Karachi from Islamabad on a two-day visit to oversee the party membership drive in the city.

In a brief media interaction at the airport, the PTI chairman questioned the uplift schemes of Sindh government.

Khan said the problem of safe drinking water has worsened in the city. He commended the role of Supreme Court of Pakistan and Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar for taking notice on the issue.

Coming down hard on Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), he said the provincial government has been failed to provide the basic necessities to the people.

Khan said PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should inform the masses about development projects undertook by his party. “The PPP is having the government in the province for last 10 years but no progress has been made,” he added.

During his two-day stay, the PTI chairman will also pay visits to numerous party camps that are set up across the city for the membership campaign.

Besides inspecting the party membership drive, Khan is also expected to address party workers during his stay in the city.

Imran Khan-led PTI has been making efforts to expand contacts with the masses ahead of General Elections 2018. The party membership drive aimed to deliver information about the party and its policies.

The campaign has recently gained momentum.

It was the second visit of the PTI chairman within a month.

On March 4, Khan addressed the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) employees outside the city airport after his arrival.

He vowed that his party would never permit the privatization of PIA and resist moves to sell the “national asset”.

“I assure you we will not allow [the government] to privatize the PIA, in fact we will turn it into profitable institutions,” Imran Khan said.

On the occasion, he also wondered about the factors leading former premier Nawaz Sharif’s mills to make healthy profits and the Pakistan Steel Mill to generate losses.