MQM, PPP & PTI to Work Together in Karachi

Karachi has been the financial hub for all of Pakistan. However, it has been receiving the least attention for quite a long time now. What ought to be the best in the country, has been facing the worst consequences of political rivalry, so far. Broken roads, no proper water facility, no drainage system, and no proper electric supply are few of those issues that the people of Karachi face every other day. There have been several protests, several riots over this, but each and every time, no one pays heed towards such protests.

Nevertheless, since the last spell of rain came pouring down in August 2020, things have changed in Karachi. There were many people who lost their lives, and there were many of those who were stuck for hours in traffic. Many people had to come home, leaving their cars/bikes behind. All because of the poor drainage system in the country. But no one knows actually, who is responsible for this havoc. Each political party keeps blaming the other.

Blame Game

Few people blame the Sindh Government, PPP, as Karachi is a part of Sindh. People have been so fed up lately, that they have started demanding for separation of Karachi. People, now, do not want Karachi to be part of Sindh. And I think, that is legitimate, considering what people have to go through each and every time some mishap takes place in the city. There are those too, who blame the local government for all the mess. MQM has been pointed fingers at, since the raid at 90. People have enough power, maturity, and strength to speak up against them. Which wasn’t possible prior to the raid, to be very honest. And the rest of the people have issues with the Federal Government, as it is their duty to look after each and every city. It isn’t their duty, per se, but at the end of the day, it is they who shall be held responsible, because whatever happens, happens under their nose.

This blame game isn’t something new. This has been going on in Pakistan for quite a long time. In fact, it has been going on since the time the Taliban came into existence, it was there, prevailing, when Bangladesh separated from Pakistan. It has been going on since then, and it doesn’t seem like this blame game is ever going to end in this country.

PTI, A Threat?

When Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf came into power, it was no less than a threat to all other Political Parties. Imran Khan was a threat to them since his 2011 speech. The speech, where the current Prime Minister of Pakistan talked about Tsunami, actually. However, Imran Khan lost the 2013 elections, however, came into power in 2018. In 2018, when Imran Khan came into power, he changed the whole system, and started to work against those who had corruption charges. He started off with famous and renowned politicians, and his rival, Nawaz Sharif, was the first one to go to be questioned by NAB. Since then, a series started, where NAB nabbed people and questioned them for all the money they had. However, amid all this, Karachi was being ignored.

However, having the constitutional powers, Imran Khan told that they would take Karachi under Federal Territory. This created chaos amongst those ruling in Karachi. PPP was at unease and so was MQM. They were actually looking at Karachi going out of their hands. Karachi, that provides opportunities to people, if lost, would have posted them much. Hence, PTI, MQM and PPP have now come on the same page. This had to happen, otherwise, people would have lost the bit that they have.

PPP, MQM & PTI

Now that these three have come on the same page, there have been several meetings held. Different Politicians from all three parties have joined hands to work together. Asad Umar, PTI, said “We have serious political difference with the Sindh government but we will work together with it for the development of the city which generates most of the revenue of the country. Asad Umar is currently working as the Planning & Development Minister.

Six member team, that has been formed, won’t be lead by anyone. These six would be working together, to formulate solutions and work upon them. The desired areas to work upon, initially are solid waste management, clean drinking water projects and anti-encroachment drive, infrastructure development, road construction, and transport management in the port city.

One can’t wait to see the three working together. If they do intend on working together, things might get better in the city. Karachi would love to see some development. Something new and something actually worth it, is really appreciated in Karachi.

The Past

In the past, there have been many instances when different things came up in the city. Karachi Circular Railway Track was constructed, so that traveling becomes easier for people. This project has been stopped mid-way, as there hasn’t been any development in the past few years. All that happened was, that roads were dug and a skeleton was formulated. The track never got its buses or trains. The track was never operational for people.

If we see Karachi today, this is what we actually see. Numaish Chowrangi has been closed for construction since ages. People have to use alternative routes to travel. On the other hand, broken roads create an issue for drivers. And not only has this been costly to cars around, but these potholes are also accountable for several accidents in the city. There are still places in Karachi, where water keeps standing for days after severe rainfall. There are still gutters in Karachi that overflow after a moderate rainfall. All this, because there has been no check and balance for a long time. There are still places in Karachi where Water Mafia is actually ruling. Where people have to buy water, from people providing water in tankers, in prices that are way too high for people to afford. But since they don’t have water in taps, they have to go for these tankers, which leaves them with nothing at the end of the day.

People have been facing so many difficulties, yet if they try protesting against it, they’re thrown behind bars. The sad reality is, one can not speak up against any political party in Pakistan. If one tries to, either they will be shot or will be abducted.

The Future

Now, if these three parties, MQM, PTI & PP work together, there should be visible results all around. If they do really work, we would likely be seeing better Karachi. A Karachi will better roads, better pulls. With better transport facilities. With water in every home. One might be seeing Karachi, not flooding in rain. There are chances that people would not drown in gutters, and no potholes will be left open. We are also expecting that Karachi will gain back the title of the City of Lights. The city would possibly be bright again, with lesser uncertain deaths on the roads. We can expect better security in the city, as all three parties will be working for the same cause.

This time, there shouldn’t be an issue in coming on the same page. Where PPP wants this committee to work provincially, well, that would be illogical. The best way to carry this out would be to work city by city, if they want to look after the province. And one thing, that they should be looking after is maintenance. Once, if, Karachi develops to be better than what it is now, the current and upcoming governments should invest in maintaining things. Regularly cleaning drainage systems, regulating water management, maintaining roads all around. They have to look after the seeds that they will be bowing in the coming future. In case they don’t, then there is no need of wasting time doing it now.

Let us all pray that these Government Officials do something useful, rather than talking and sketching out plans only. Rather than fighting they work for Karachi and make it a better place to live, visit and reside.

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