Karachi ( June 30): President of PTI Sindh, Haleem Adil Sheikh, addressed an important press conference at Insaf House Karachi, accompanied by PTI Sindh Additional General Secretary Rizwan Niazi, Karachi General Secretary Arsalan Khalid, Former MNA Aftab Jahangir, Maulana Jameel Azhar Withra, Rizwan Khanzada, Muhammad Ali Baloch, Sam Khan, Agha Arsalan, Abid Qureshi, Wali Mugheri, Adil Riaz, Shikhoo Safavi, Khan Zaman Khattak, Advocate Rashid, Waleed Hashmi and other party leaders.
In his address, Haleem Adil Sheikh expressed grave concerns over the ongoing severe heat and load shedding in Karachi, which has led to the deaths of over 800 citizens. He stated that Karachi residents are also suffering from a lack of drinking water. Sheikh confirmed Faisal Edhi’s statement that over 800 bodies were brought to Edhi Mortuary within a week. He warned of potential fatalities due to electric shocks and flooding in the city with the upcoming heavy rains predicted by the Meteorological Department.
Despite a massive budget of 3,000 billion rupees, including 949 billion rupees for development, the Sindh government has allocated only one billion rupees to Karachi, mainly for old schemes, leaving the city neglected. Sheikh questioned if Karachi’s residents are being abandoned and vowed not to leave them helpless.
Sheikh criticized the 16-year-long incompetent rule of the PPP in Sindh, pointing out that Karachi’s drainage system is clogged with no efforts to clean it. He urged the media to highlight the dire state of the drains to prevent the city from flooding. He accused the Sindh Chief Minister and the Mayor of Karachi of conspiring against the citizens by allowing the drains to remain clogged.
Sheikh lamented the lack of action from government ministers, comparing them to hidden rats, and praised the previous efforts under Prime Minister Imran Khan, who allocated six billion rupees to clean three major drains in Karachi. He accused the PPP of turning Karachi into the fifth dirtiest city in the world and exploiting it for its resources.
Haleem Adil Sheikh accused the PPP of treating Karachi like scavengers, exploiting the city and illegally occupying its lands. He highlighted the widespread corruption and bribery in government departments.
Sheikh mentioned that PTI had previously protested against K-Electric, but their demands were not met, and prolonged load shedding continues to plague the city, causing distress among residents. He warned that if load shedding is not immediately ended, PTI will launch a massive protest against K-Electric across all districts of Karachi.
Sheikh also alleged that the Sukkur Barrage gate was deliberately broken, causing crops to dry up. He claimed that the gate was damaged to facilitate large-scale corruption, with PPP members aiming to turn Sindh’s lands barren to buy them cheaply.
He expressed deep disappointment over the upholding of a false ‘Iddat case’ verdict against Imran Khan, stating that the punishment of a prominent Islamic leader for marrying his wife is being mocked worldwide. He emphasized that Pakistan is becoming isolated on the global stage due to such actions, and only the release of Imran Khan can improve the country’s situation.
Sheikh refuted claims of internal conflicts within PTI, calling them false narratives created by conspirators. He asserted that if any disagreements existed, they would have emerged before the election ticket distribution on February 8. He emphasized that 99.9% of the party stands united, with no formation of a forward block, and those who attempted such moves in the past have seen their political careers end. He reiterated that the decisions made by their leader, Imran Khan, are followed by the entire party.
Sheikh concluded by condemning the attempt to sell 54,000 government jobs in Sindh, a scheme that the court recently annulled. He stressed PTI’s commitment to ensuring that jobs are awarded based on merit.
Additional General Secretary of PTI Sindh, Rizwan Niazi, announced that in response to the severe heat, PTI will plant 100,000 trees across the province. Niazi expressed pride in his leader’s commitment to tree planting, stating that this initiative aligns with their vision. He outlined the plan, mentioning that the first phase will see the planting of 20,000 trees in Karachi, followed by 10,000 trees in Hyderabad. Additionally, 20,000 trees will be planted along highways, with the remaining 20,000 trees distributed across various locations.
Rizwan Niazi also highlighted the issue of uncollected garbage in Karachi, which is contributing to the spread of diseases. Despite a solid waste management budget of 16 billion rupees, residents are forced to pay for garbage collection. He declared that if the Solid Waste Management fails to address the garbage issue, PTI will collect the waste and deliver it to the Solid Waste Management office at their own expense.
PTI Karachi General Secretary Arsalan Khalid criticized the Sindh government’s performance, citing daily incidents of crime and water scarcity, and accused them of neglecting Karachi despite grand promises.
Agha Arsalan pointed out the corruption in the Sukkur Barrage repairs, which has left farmland dry during peak agricultural season.
PTI Sindh Secretary of Agriculture Abid Qureshi emphasized the critical state of agriculture due to the barrage closure, affecting millions of hectares of farmland.
Religious Affairs Secretary Maulana Jameel Azhar Wathra condemned the unjust punishment given to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the “Iddat case,” calling it un-Islamic and against Pakistani law. He urged for justice to prevail.
Finance Secretary Shikho Safavi criticized the PPP for prioritizing schemes in the names of their martyrs over the public’s welfare.
Issued by Muhammad Ali Baloch, Secretary Information PTI Sindh 03332921006.
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