Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary  

Mubasher Mir

Pakistan Day is celebrated every year in memory of the Pakistan Resolution, when celebrations were held to commemorate the passing of the Lahore Resolution on 23 March 1940.  A historic convention was held under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah from 22 to 24 March 1940 in which the All India Muslim League passed a resolution to grant autonomous status to Muslim majority areas. This resolution was presented by Maulvi AK Fazal Haq while it was prepared by a committee of nine people. Later, it was renamed the Pakistan Resolution and the Minar-e-Pakistan was built in Minto Park in its memory. On every national day, the question arises as to why the objectives of Pakistan's existence were not fulfilled. Why could Pakistan not become an ideal state? The answer is very simple, colonial thinking is still prevalent among the rulers in Pakistan, under which this country is being ruled, the people have not been given a share in power.

On the occasion of Pakistan Day, the President of Pakistan  also bestowed high civil awards. Surprisingly, every year some awardees  are controversial, as if some awards are decorated based on personal desires. Karachi-based businessman and the President’s right-hand man Khawaja Anwar Majeed has been awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, which is considered the most controversial award. The President’s speech is being commented  on social media and his act of awarding his friend is also under criticism. The award given to Umar Farooq was also surprising everyone. At a ceremony held at the Governor House in Sindh, the Governor of Sindh has also given an award to the Vice Chancellor of Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Dr. Samreen Hussain, the wife of the President’s friend and PPP leader Dr. Asim Hussain. Although she is the head of a higher educational institution, questions are also being raised about her being the wife of a former petroleum adviser. Awards are a recognition of the services of any individual by the state, so it should be based on merit.

On 21st Ramadan, a peaceful procession was taken out on Ali Day, and gatherings were held to mark the martyrdom of the fourth Caliph, Amir-ul-Mu'minin Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib (AS). The main procession started from Nishtar Park. Hazrat Ali's personality is known in Islamic history for his courage, patience, and eloquence. He was counted among the loyal companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). To pay tribute to his bravery, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has named the highest award for martyrdom in the Pakistani armed forces as "Nishan-e-Haider". It is given for setting a high example of bravery. Hazrat Ali's decisions are considered prominent in history, while the book containing his sermons is Nahjh ul Balagha. Hazrat Ali's biography was written by Mufti Jafar Hussain, which was published as Seerat Amir-ul-Mu'minin. His Caliphate was a symbol of justice and fairness. A detailed book was written on this by the Lebanese Christian researcher " George Jordac " which was published in 1956. Its English translation was published as Voice of Human Justice. Hazrat Ali's letter to his governor of Egypt, Malik Ashtar, was a high example of guidance on governance.

The discussion on the upcoming budget in the Sindh Assembly has been completed, the purpose of which was to decide what the new year’s budget should be like, on which the opposition leader took a pleading stance that the budget should be made for the people. The opposition in the Sindh Assembly seems to be working in a friendly manner. It is not in a position to create any difficult situation for the PPP. Since the PPP and MQM are the alliance parties of the PML-N in the federation, no major differences seem possible. The budget of the provincial governments is anyway influenced by the federal budget. They have to get money from the federation under the NFC, and they make their projects using it. So far, all the provincial governments have not given importance to education and health, while the local government system is not among their priorities. Without this, it does not seem possible for the condition of the people to improve. The provincial government has not yet been able to solve the two main problems of Karachi, clean water and transport.

MQM keeps presenting its complaints to the federal government, federal ministers are trying to reduce their grievances to appease them, now another of their members has been included in the federal cabinet, on MQM's complaint, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal attended a Zoom meeting from Saudi Arabia and MQM leaders also discussed Karachi projects with him.

The MQM's style of politics has weakened the case of Karachi, while the disgrace that was showered on the PTI is still ongoing. The people of Karachi and the business community are also raising their voices, but the federal government is not working directly on Karachi, while the provincial government's style of governance has become a serious problem for the citizens of Karachi. The mayorship of Karachi has also been handed over to the PPP, but despite this, the splendor of Karachi is not being restored. Only a better local government system can help to solve the problems.

Former federal minister and renowned jurist Barrister Khalid Anwar passed away in Karachi this month. He was the son of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Ali and father-in-law of Supreme Court Justice Muneeb Akhtar. He was 86 years old. He fought the case of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Supreme Court and as a result, Nawaz Sharif was restored to the prime ministership. Later, there were conflicting reports about how Mian Nawaz Sharif’s father Mian Muhammad Sharif influenced the case through his long-time friend and legal advisor Justice Rafiq Tarar, who was later elected President. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had strongly criticized the decision at the time and called it a " CHAMAK, “spark”. Barrister Khalid Anwar had complete access to constitutional matters, he was also elected a senator. Khalid Anwar was born in Delhi and died in Karachi.

Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary 

Mubasher Mir

Nationalist parties in Sindh province and then the opposition, including the GDA and the Tehreek-e-Insaf, have started opposing the six canals across the country. Given the sensitivity of the situation, the Pakistan Peoples Party, which previously avoided open opposition, has now presented a resolution in the Sindh Assembly on the six canal project and demanded that the federal government stop the project. The resolution against the six canal project in the Sindh Assembly was presented by the Chief Minister of Sindh. Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari addressed the joint session of parliament at the beginning of the new parliamentary year and advised the federal government to abandon the plan to draw canals from the Indus River. Thus, the Green Pakistan Project, which was formally inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Punjab and the Chief of Army Staff, may face difficulties.

Before the current situation, a meeting was held in the President’s Office in mid-July last year on the six-canal project. It was chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari. Senior military officers also attended the meeting. The President was briefed on the six-canal project in the meeting and the Green Pakistan project was endorsed by the President. He also issued orders in that meeting for the early completion of the project. These canals include Chashma Right Bank, Kachhi, Raini, Greater Thal, Cholistan and Thar. Surprisingly, the President had supported the project last year and expressed interest in its completion, but now, seeing the changing course of politics, he has also changed his stance. What kind of U-turn is this?

The Bhutto legacy has started to be discussed in the politics of Sindh province. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr. has become politically active. He meets the people in the interior areas of Sindh and speaks in Sindhi and has even addressed a few events in Sindhi. In this way, he is getting acceptance. It remains to be seen whether Asif Ali Zardari and his two children, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, are also in active politics. Who will maintain their claim on the political legacy of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto? This will be an interesting situation. After the assassination of Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto, their children continued to live a quiet life. Ghinwa Bhutto kept her group active to some extent, but Fatima Bhutto did not take interest in politics. Now Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr. is also influencing the Sindhi people. He has not turned his attention to other provinces.

For a few days, there was a rumor that the federal government intends to significantly reduce petrol prices, but this turned out to be a delusion of the public. The federal government has dashed the hopes of the people who are suffering from inflation by announcing that it will maintain the prices of petrol. The federal government is committed to the policy of generating revenue from energy. Due to which the industry, commercial activities and domestic consumers are in a bad situation. The federal government has not yet been able to take decisions that will restore public confidence and make investors willing to make new investments. The most important thing in this is unproductive expenditure. The government is spending money unnecessarily on administrative matters and the performance of officers and members of parliament is disappointing. Along with this, the severe wave of terrorism has created an atmosphere of fear. Balochistan and KPk provinces are being directly affected by terrorism, which is a cause for concern.

The Sindh Assembly has strongly condemned the incidents of terrorism, while the Pakistan Army and security agencies have been praised for their successful operation in the Jaffar Express tragedy. After the Jaffar Express tragedy, terrorism has also occurred in Nushki. This is a moment of reflection, if the government does not have public acceptance, it cannot control even small incidents. At present, the federal and both provincial governments (KPK and Balochistan) are under severe pressure.

The public expects their governments and security agencies to provide them with all possible protection, but the surge in terrorist incidents over the past few months has created a sense of insecurity. If the government intends to hold an All Parties Conference, it will first have to end the political strife in the country.

Economic activities have also slowed down to some extent during Ramadan. But food service organizations are very active. Along with this, Every one is also actively participating in charity.

Turkish Consul General Cemal Sangu has established a wonderful tradition, his government is helping the needy in most countries of the world during Ramadan and is also organizing special Iftar dinners for special people.

Consul General of Turkie Karachi organized an Iftar dinner with mothers at Aghosh Trust and presented them with gifts. On this occasion, Consul General Cemal Sango said that they have organized big Iftar parties in many areas of Karachi and Sindh, including the cities of Dadu and Mirpur Khas, while Iftar dinners have been organized in Lyari and Baldia in Karachi. Surely, this is the best gift of Ramadan from the brotherly country of Turkie to Pakistanis.

Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary 

 Mubasher Mir

    Political iftar parties are also ongoing in Ramadan. Member of National Assembly Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, who belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party, organized a grand iftar party at his house in which important personalities from all walks of life participated. On this occasion, members of the ruling parties were present in large numbers, while the business community and Consul Generals also participated. On this occasion, people were trying to learn about Air Karachi, a new airline, many business people have been associated with this project. Renowned builder Hanif Gohar said that initially Air Karachi will be started with three aircraft. For which Airbus aircrafts are being acquired on lease. Of course, this is a good initiative that Pakistani businessmen have tried together. An example of this was set in Sialkot, it is to be hoped that the business community will also invest in road and rail systems because more people travel by this transport, while for sea travel, public investment in cruises should also be encouraged.

The Sindh Governor is also organizing Iftar and Sehri gatherings this year. A public Iftar party is organized in the Governor House in the true sense, while the Sindh Governor is also participating in Sehri parties. He has dedicated himself to public gatherings in this regard. Although he does not have administrative powers, he keeps disturbing the PPP by increasing his contact with the public. PPP members criticize him in this regard. The Sindh government spokesperson has also criticized his statements.

The Sindh Governor has made several statements on issues like unrest in the city of Karachi, heavy traffic problems, water shortage, etc. that he can play his role in it. Karachi's metro service, Orange and Green Line, have been handed over to the government. It is to be hoped that the transport department will run it better, while the Red Line project is pending. People on University Road have been humiliated and humiliated for the last two years, but the pace of work is very slow.

A lawyers' rally was held from Hyderabad to Karachi in which the six canals project was declared against Sindh. The government of Pakistan has so far been unable to give an effective response to it. They should have brought the maps and details of the canals to the public and then explained the reasons for it. Sindh organizations and political parties are opposing this project.

According to informed sources, former President Dr. Arif Alvi did not agree to this project, but the PPP and President Asif Ali Zardari have supported it on one side, while some people also support the opposition, while instead of opposing the canals, there is talk of Sindh water. Tehreek-e-Insaf has also announced to protest against six canals. Thus, more parties are joining the protest. The delegation of Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ain Pakistan was demanded by the GDA leadership, Pir Pagara, to support the protesr against new canals. Therefore, now Tehreek-e-Insaf will also join this protest. But still, the federal government should remove the reservations of all political parties and groups. The special thing about this protest was that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr. also participated in it.

MQM has got another ministry in the federation. Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui was holding the Ministry of Education, while now Mustafa Kamal has been given the Health portfolio. Thus, the two most important sectors of education and health have been given to MQM. If both ministers want, they can do very big things. Although education and health are the responsibility of the provinces and the provinces have more budget in this regard, but despite this, federal ministers can serve the people in matters of education and health. The need is to work on new ideas. Ministerial affairs should not be run in the traditional way.

Mustafa Kamal has worked as the Mayor of Karachi, so he has experience of working at the grassroots. He can provide better services by bringing innovation in the Ministry of Health. Apart from this, the health department of MQM has also been working under his supervision. The institutions of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation were under his supervision, so he has the ability to show performance in all these matters, so hopes can be pinned on him.

International Women's Day was celebrated in various sectors and institutions, as if this festival has now become a permanent status. A large number of women in Pakistan are now turning into the workforce. Many institutions are headed by women, while women are fulfilling the most important responsibilities in the corporate sector and public institutions. They are also represented in parliament, although it is dominated by traditional political families, but women from other families are also making their place. Although it is a bright side that women are also moving forward in the field of education, there is also a dark side that cannot be ignored. When the figures come before us, our hair stands on end. The number of women killed in the name of honor is not small. Women who are victims of oppression, cruelty and sexual violence are also in large numbers. It is a pity that it is not decreasing every year, while a ministry for the development of women has also been established at the federal and provincial levels, but its performance is not remarkable yet.

Women are getting very few employment opportunities at the small cities, towns and village level. For this, it is necessary to provide training to women in the IT sector so that they can get employment even while living in their homes. In addition, the number of hostels especially for women in cities is negligible and the quality of transport is not good enough that women face travel difficulties on a daily basis.

Therefore, there is a need to build working women hostels. There are large residences at the disposal of government officials at the division, district and tehsil levels, it is not difficult to create space for women hostels in them. Provincial governments can play a greater role in this. Provincial governments are not providing the local government with an opportunity to be active, otherwise the local government system can play its role in solving such problems.

Women face the most difficulties in getting justice. The example of Dr. Yasmin Rashid, a political leader of the Tehreek-e-Insaf, can be given, who despite being a senior citizen and a cancer patient, was not given the facilities she deserved. Only by giving women rights can we put Pakistan on the path of development.

Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary 

Mubasher Mir

A freedom convention was held at the Karachi Press Club regarding the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), in which leaders of political parties besides the media spoke. They believed that the act was passed in a hurry. Although constitutional amendments have also been passed in Pakistan in a hurry, members of parliament are not provided with the opportunity for regular debate and discussion.

Even the 18th Amendment, which was passed in 2008, was not given the opportunity to the members of parliament to discuss its contents. The bill was passed in a single day. At that time, the PPP was the driving force behind this amendment, but now the PML-N is leading the way in the amendments that have been made.

Leaders of Tehreek-e-Insaf, PPP, Jamaat-e-Islami, MQM and GDA addressed the Azadi Convention. Senior PPP leader Raza Rabbani also expressed his views. Surprisingly, PPP and MQM are the parties that passed the bill, while the President belongs to PPP, so PPP and MQM leaders commented on PECA with cautious conversation. After the bill was passed by the parliament, it was being said that President Asif Ali Zardari would return the bill. But this did not happen and the President had signed the bill. In the current situation, the same style of politics is being played out that political parties are seen opposing and supporting the same issue in different ways, which even students of politics are surprised.

The Japanese Consulate in Karachi organized the birthday celebration of the Emperor of Japan, which was attended by the most important personalities of Karachi. While the Chief Minister of Sindh attended the event specially and discussed Pak-Japan relations. The history of economic relations between Pakistan and Japan has been wonderful. Japan has the largest share in the automobile industry in Pakistan. The Ministry of Industry of Pakistan should work with the automobile industry on the basis of how the prices of vehicles in Pakistan can be reduced, while the quality of vehicles has also deteriorated a lot. Recently, Suzuki Motors has increased the prices of its vehicles. Pakistan has not yet been able to reap much benefit from the Pak-Japan economic relations, which is being lost by the entire nation.

The Sindh government has invited South Korea to invest in the Dhabeji Economic Zone, which is welcome. South Korea's automobile industry is also excellent, and it should be utilized.

Dumper and heavy traffic continues to crush the citizens in the city of Karachi. It is surprising why the Sindh Ministry of Transport and the traffic police have not yet been able to identify the incompetent drivers. If the law enforcement agencies check the documents of heavy vehicles and assess the skills of their drivers, then incompetent drivers can be stopped from driving vehicles, but the government officials are still making rhetoric.

The Governor of Sindh has claimed that if he had the power, he would have solved the water and traffic problems, but after the 18th Amendment, the powers of the Governor have been reduced. It is surprising what kind of sympathy the Governor of Sindh wants to gain from the people by publicly expressing his weakness. Who has stopped him from discussing the problems of Sindh province with the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan? At least he can inform the Prime Minister through his letters.

Looking at the roads, traffic, water shortage, gas load shedding and other problems in Karachi city that should be solved by municipal institutions, it seems that the city has been pushed back to the eighteenth century due to administrative incompetence. It has become impossible to provide clean water even in the posh areas of Karachi city. Karachi traders have also submitted complaints to Army Chief General Asim Munir several times. Everyone is aware of the problems but the journey of real change has not started yet. Karachi Municipal Corporation should be active to solve municipal problems but despite the claims of the Mayor of Karachi, results have not been forthcoming.

Recently, a news has come out in the media that scams have come to light in the distribution of solar panels in Sindh. It seems that corruption has also started in the scheme that was recently launched. Instead of paying attention to these issues, the leaders of the PPP and MQM are busy making statements against each other.

Some disappointing and dangerous reports have come from Balochistan. Especially at many places on the Quetta-Sibi highway, armed militant groups have been found stopping and checking vehicles. This should be a challenge for the security agencies that militant groups have become so powerful that they are challenging the state.

During Ramadan, reports are coming from all over the world about how facilities are being provided for the fasting people. But in Pakistan, the situation is going in reverse. There is a rush in the markets but people are forced to buy expensive things. Along with this, gas load shedding during Sehr and Iftar times has started to bother the people. Instead of creating facilities for the people during Ramadan, more profits are being made and they are also being bothered.

Karachi Political diary

 Karachi Political diary

Mubasher Mir

The united opposition is busy preparing for a grand meeting and on the instructions of Imran Khan, every party is being contacted that can become a part of the Movement to Protect the Constitution of Pakistan. In this regard, important leaders of the PTI and other parties were on a visit to Karachi, in which the most important meeting was with Pir Pagara and other parties involved in his alliance GDA. In which Pir Pagara was invited to participate in the grand meeting. If the GDA becomes a part of this movement in Sindh province, then a big alliance will come into existence at the provincial level as well as the PPP and MQM.

Regarding the election results, the GDA also has the same stance as the PTI and other parties. The GDA has also been sidelined in Sindh in the same way as other parties in Punjab and Balochistan. Keeping in mind the politics of Sindh, the GDA is also against new canals, on which the PTI is also ready to support them. Although Pir Pagara has been struggling with drawing room politics and more and more public meetings, they can gain benefits by going to this big platform.

The movement leaders also addressed the media at the Karachi Press Club and took a stand on the letters written by Imran Khan that they have reached the real place. But the PTI should bring the contents of the letter to the public, while talking about speculations in this regard, they said that Imran Khan did not demand relief, but government circles are claiming that the former prime minister is seeking relief. Imran Khan seems to be successful to the extent that he has succeeded in forming an opposition alliance against the government alliance while in jail. In the past, the PPP used to take this task from the late Nawabzada Nasrullah. And then the PML-N and the PPP had completed this task from Maulana Fazlur Rehman. But a politician has become so effective from jail that the government is also afraid of him and the opposition leaders have also stood by his stance. If Pir Pagara joins the movement, it is possible that MQM-Haqqi leader Afaq Ahmed, who is currently in jail, will also become a part of it.

As for the issue of new canals, nationalist parties are also protesting on it, but the leaders opposing the project in Sindh have not agreed to launch a joint movement. The PPP has not yet submitted a motion to discuss it in Parliament.

National People's Party chief and GDA Vice Chairman Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi has been arrested again in another case after being granted bail in two cases. Regarding the allegations being leveled against him, people from his party say that these are just allegations, the real issue is a personal dispute between a leader of the ruling party and a minister. Although the incident is old, revenge-like action is being taken now. It is an old tradition in Pakistan that people in power and authority do not keep the requirements of justice in mind while taking action against their opponents. This may satisfy their hearts, but justice and fairness ends somewhere, while the police are used in this.

The social media is abuzz with debate over the interview given to TV by President Asif Ali Zardari during his visit to China, and the content of the interview has been criticized for not answering the questions well and effectively. The questions asked by the female TV anchor were very important regarding Pak-China relations. It is true that the health of the President is not such that high expectations should be placed on him, but his media team should have prepared better for this interview because the impact of the speech of the country’s most important figure is far-reaching. Although several important ministers also traveled with him, the media sector has appeared weak.

After the murder of a young man named Mustafa in Karachi, many revelations are coming out regarding the drug mafia. The police have arrested the people involved in it and the son of an actor Sajid Hassan was also arrested. The court door was opened on Sunday for his remand. His video footage showed that he is not at all remorseful for drug dealing and his father must definitely be aware of it.

India emerged victorious in the match between Pakistan and India. The public expected a good competition in the match played in Dubai, but the fans did not get to see good cricket. The morale of the Pakistani team was not high and it failed to create an atmosphere of competition. If the match had been taking place in Pakistan or India, it could have been said that there was pressure of the match, but even in the match held at a neutral venue in Dubai, the Pakistani team did not appear in a winning mood. The cricket board should pay special attention to this. The public's disappointment is not because the team lost, but rather because the team did not give the Indian players a tough time. The playing field creates a healthy competition trend, but if the quality of the game drops, the entire nation becomes depressed. However, apart from improving the game, the Pakistani team needs to be brought out of the fear of losing because it has tried unsuccessfully to win against India many times.

The arrival of Ramadan is approaching and gradually the prices of goods have started increasing, which is seen every year. The government claims every year that they will improve this situation next year, the government has also announced a relief package, the amount of which is said to be 20 billion rupees, along with this, announcements are also being made to close utility stores, the federal government should privatize utility stores, it has become a brand. The private sector can run it in the best way. People associated with it will also be saved from unemployment. There is a large network of public stores, its closure is not appropriate. The super stores that are running in the private sector are making profits, so the government can also franchise utility stores to different institutions.

The reports coming from Balochistan are very dangerous. A group of armed men is stopping and checking vehicles on the Quetta-Sibi highway in Bolan Valley. There is also news of similar treatment of a provincial minister's convoy. The places where the incidents have taken place include Bibi Nani, Aab Gum, Green Hotel and Pir Ghaib Cross. The security agencies should have taken immediate notice.

Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary 

 Mubasher Mir

MQM-Haqqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed has been accused of inciting people to set fire to heavy traffic and to burn their vehicles whenever someone gets hit by heavy traffic. There was a disturbing increase in the number of people killed by dumpers, to which Afaq Ahmed had reacted by saying that if it happens again, he will be held accountable.

Statements of the leaders of political parties Some anti-social elements do not hesitate to use it in their favor and commit crimes on the spot. Of course, Afaq Ahmed must have wanted it that way, but his statement fell on his throat. It is similar to the fact that the events of May 9 are being blamed on former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Imran Khan is demanding a judicial investigation into these events. It seems that Chairman Afaq Ahmed will also demand the same after some time. However, whatever has happened, Afaq Ahmed has benefited a lot politically. He was leading a quiet life, but his party has come to life. Afaq Ahmed has become the center of news. The other side of this is that some people are talking about bringing back former MQM chief Altaf Hussain. While Dr. Ishratul Ibad also intends to start the journey of return. There is disagreement in the current MQM, the Governor Sindh is struggling to strengthen his position, in this situation, Afaq Ahmed’s prominence is important. Some political experts believe that the effort to unite all the MQM groups is also being made to stop the Urdu community in Karachi, which has largely shifted towards the personality of Imran Khan. Many educated members of the Urdu community have turned their backs on the current leadership of the MQM.

The ruling forces are stuck on the old formula that there should be two political forces in the province so that both can be used against each other. Although this formula has been going on for many decades, it has not led to development in the province nor has a political democratic society flourished. However, political tug-of-war continues to be demonstrated, but in the last few years, things have changed completely. Now the people are not interested in this tug-of-war.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has spoken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, accusing Imran Khan of misguiding the young generation and admitting that Pakistan has not been able to prepare itself according to the requirements of the digital age. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s statement has been released from Karachi for Pakistan Media. Now he himself is working hard to make the young generation in his favour while blaming the federation for the internet problems. His party has been ruling in the federation and is also playing a long innings in the province. His provincial government has also not been able to do much for the digital age, he should make a dynamic and active IT specialist part of his team at the provincial level so that the IT Ministry in Sindh province can perform better.

The PPP claims to treat political opponents well, but the PPP organization in South Punjab has issued notices to its leaders in Dera Ghazi Khan for welcoming Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr. It is surprising that political tolerance should have been shown.

The Sindh Governor has also started a letter-writing campaign. He is writing to the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court to take notice of the heavy traffic problems in the city. There are reports of a petition being filed by Jamaat-e-Islami. Although this is an administrative matter, the Sindh Transport Department and the Police Department have been unable to play their role. If work is done to control the vehicle issues through their companies, the results can be better. But the tragedy is that there are big stories of corruption in this too, just as police stations are sold and the blame is placed on police officers, similarly there are reports of traffic police sections being sold. Of course, this buying and selling is of a completely different nature in which the police are considered directly involved. Political courage is needed to break this system, which seems to be missing at the moment. If the court, Governor House and other institutions work together to achieve something, it will be a great service to the public.

Former President Dr. Arif Alvi had tried to become politically active but FIRs started being registered against him. After that, he was confined to his Dental clinic but now he was in Washington to meet Pakistanis in the US and members of Congress. At the invitation of PakPac, an organization of Pakistanis, he presented his position to American politicians regarding the protection of human rights and freedom of expression in Pakistan.

This situation in Pakistan is increasing day by day and a confrontation is going on, the current government and the ruling institutions have a different point of view while the opposition parties are coming together and the slogan of protecting the constitution is being raised. A grand dialogue between selected people with both points of view is necessary. But the environment for this has not been created yet. In the past, friendly countries have also been playing their role, but at present, Pakistan's friendly countries are silent and the confrontation is intensifying.

In traffic accidents, serious accidents occurred near Khairpur and Nawabshah, in one of which the pilgrims of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and in the other the famous Naat Khawan Khwaja Ali Kazim, who had gained great fame on social media, lost their lives. Khwaja Ali Kazim belonged to Skardu in the northern areas. After the funeral prayers in Karachi, his body was taken to Skardu where a large crowd attended his funeral prayers.

Another gruesome murder took place in Karachi and Mustafa Khan, a young man, was killed and burnt by his friend. According to reports, Sindh Police failed to catch the culprit and IB solved the mystery. Now in Hyderabad, a famous poet Dr. Akash was killed and burnt by his son, the son of the deceased confessed to the crime.

The increase in accidents and murders indicates chaos in society. Citizens on the roads or on the highway express their power by speeding, while murders are also an expression of greed and power. People escape punishment by using their resources, so society is suffering from anarchy. The authorities should consider this situation and work to remedy it.

Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi  Political Diary  

Mubasher Mir

Intellectuals at the Karachi Literature Festival have emphasized that the establishment is the main obstacle to the flourishing of civil society institutions. And in particular, it has not allowed the institutions to become fully functional and effective. This is the reason  that civil society institutions have failed to play an effective role at present. What the intellectual community has pointed out has been expressed in the past as well and there is a history of political resistance against this behavior of the ruling forces, but it has not ended yet because the ruling forces get some political party or group in their support, thus this role has not ended.

If we look at the twenty-five years of the current century, politicians also provided the oppertunities like President General Pervez Musharraf with the opportunity to form the Muslim League-Q, religious parties under the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal provided a crutch, while the Forward Bloc of the People's Party came into being under the name Patriot, and President Musharraf succeeded in seizing power.

The PML-N and the PPP signed a democracy charter, but Mian Nawaz Sharif's relations with the ruling forces deteriorated once again and the PTI made its place and came to power with the support of the ruling forces. However, soon the PML-N, PPP and MQM reunited with the ruling forces and succeeded in removing Imran Khan as the Prime Minister before his term. After Imran Khan's differences with the ruling forces, the three parties launched a movement with the support of the ruling forces using Maulana Fazlur Rehman. It seems that this series is continuing under the nexus instead of the weaknesses of the political parties and the political struggle to gain power.

The intellectual community should urge political parties to establish democracy within their parties and believe in political struggle beyond family politics. Only then can civil society institutions become active and effective. Otherwise, it will remain a dream. Public awareness has its place, but the politics of alliances is a deadly poison for Pakistan.

Opposition parties observed February 8 as a black day and termed the election results as fraud. In Sindh, GDA also criticized the results of the last election like PTI. Questions are still being raised about the February 8 election, but political parties have adopted the habit of blaming each other but are reluctant to talk about the purification of the system. The ruling parties are trying to consolidate their power while the opposition parties are trying to bring about change through protests.

Meanwhile, an IMF review mission has arrived in Pakistan. The mission will review progress in corruption reduction, financial governance and rule of law. After taking up the IMF program, the government of Pakistan has accepted it as its monitor. What a shame for the entire nation that an independent, sovereign country is under the influence of a financial institution due to its wrong policies.

In principle, the parliament of Pakistan should play a monitoring role, but the members are not even allowed to read the bills that the parliament is passing and they are forced to support it under the agreement. In the legislation of the parliament, the members do not dare to discuss it. In such a situation, Pakistan has acquired the right to control an international financial institution that we ourselves have assigned to it. The standing committees of the parliament are also adopting the style of sitting, speaking and dismissing.

Provincial assemblies have implemented agricultural tax, this too has been done in the light of IMF orders. Not only the government of the day but also the opposition should think about this, if they come to power, they too can be treated in the same way. Therefore, Pakistan needs to have a political dialogue in a broader context so that the future Pakistan can change.

The speeding of dumpers in Karachi has claimed many lives. Announcements are also coming from political parties. Now the Sindh government has banned the transportation of dumpers in the city during daytime. Although this ban was in place earlier. Heavy traffic hours were fixed but it was not being implemented. It is not just a matter of fixing the hours but it is more important to check the inexperienced drivers.

It is also necessary to stop the entry of illegal vehicles into the city. It has also come to light that many four-wheeled vehicles are also illegal, while suspicious vehicles are also found among vehicles with official number plates. Therefore, a complete audit is needed in this regard. The Excise Department of the Government of Sindh has the highest responsibility in this. Serious efforts should be made to remedy the corruption that is happening in registration.

Pakistan Navy's peace exercise is ongoing, along with it, there is also talk about Pakistani seas and their defence. Pakistan's maritime borders are equal to half of Pakistan's area. It is as if our sea is a maritime province that is full of treasures, which we have not utilized in the way we should. Along with making Pakistan Navy effective, there is a need to improve its maritime borders for commercial purposes.

Pakistan Railways has privatized more passenger trains. Although this is a good model, it is very important to take into account merit. There is scope to make Pakistan Railways a profitable institution, for which it is necessary to adopt modern technology.

Shia Ismaili Imam Shah Karim Al-Husseini Aga Khan IV has been laid to rest in the Egyptian city of Aswan. Ismaili Muslims in Pakistan also mourned his death, while top government officials including the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan expressed their grief and sorrow over it. In fact, President Zardari reached Portugal to express his condolences.

Karachi - Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary 

 Mubasher Mir

Shah Muhammad Shah, the most important leader of the PML-N Sindh, has written a letter to PML-N President Mian Nawaz Sharif, stating that since he took over the party's presidency, no meeting of the central executive committee has been convened.

Shah Muhammad Shah has raised a very good point, most of the political parties of Pakistan have failed to organize the party and make it active as an institution . If the political parties promote democratic culture within the parties, it will also have a better impact on the country's democracy, but unfortunately Pakistan is still badly affected by power politics. The dominance of families in political parties has made it even more inactive. In fact, it is a very ideal time for the PML-N that the party and government positions are separate. The President of the PML-N can organize the party at all levels but his focus is not on this, he should consider the advice of one of his senior leaders.

Awami National Party chief Aimal Wali Khan, while addressing a rally in Karachi, said that there is no such thing as democracy in the country, even the head of a political party wants to see democracy only in the government, he also does not have the desire to see democracy in his party. These problems of every political party are the same, the ANP chief belongs to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, but he had to choose another province to be elected as a member of the Upper House Senate. It is not difficult to guess how the necessary documents were prepared for that purpose. Even now he is residing in Peshawar, while someone else from Balochistan had the right to become a member of the Upper House. As if he has no objection to such democracy, politicians should definitely think while making statements that to what extent what they are talking about applies on themselves.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has once again hinted at starting a protest movement, his agenda includes raising voice on public issues besides IPPs and energy crisis. Since Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman was elected as the Jamaat-e-Islami chief, he has started a series of meetings, processions, rallies, and sit-ins. Although peaceful protest is the fundamental right of every citizen, for good governance in Pakistan requires more than just protesting. In many cases, the judiciary will have to be approached, while there is also a need to form public opinion by talking to the country’s intellectual class. Political parties should also work as a think tank for policy studies so that the educated class of the country also comes closer to them and they too play a role in the process of better change.

Leaders of various political parties addressed the water conference in Hyderabad and presented their positions regarding the new canals, while PPP leader Arsalan Sheikh spoke in a press conference about the protection of water in Sindh.

The most objections are being raised in Sindh province against the canal being dug for Cholistan, but surprisingly, the federal government is avoiding dialogue with the provinces on these issues. A meeting of the Council of Common Interests is not being convened in this regard. In this regard, the Chief Ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh province had drawn the attention of Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif to this, but so far the Prime Minister's Secretariat has not given any indication regarding the meeting of the Council of Common Interests. If any province has an objection to any project, it should be discussed in the relevant forum. When it is delayed, the matter becomes political in nature. Therefore, the federation should address this issue immediately.

The Sindh Chief Minister has warned the Vice Chancellors regarding the ongoing protests in Sindh universities to stop the protests in the universities, he believes that the Vice Chancellors are behind the ongoing protests. It is inappropriate for the Sindh Chief Minister to warn the Vice Chancellors with strong words. Respect for teachers is the duty of every member of the society, and protest is the constitutional right of every citizen. If the Sindh Chief Minister wants to issue any administrative order, it should be at the official level.

An attempt was made in the Sindh Assembly to bring a resolution to revive the students' union, but it was rejected due to the opposition of the Interior Minister, and the provincial Interior Minister announced that work was already underway to revive the students' union. The government should define its scope in view of the importance of the students' union. If there is a swing in this policy, pressure groups including political parties will also take advantage of it, which will also destroy the Academic system of colleges and universities.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has launched efforts to activate the party organization of Sindh province during his visit to Karachi. For the past two years, PTI had completely gone on the back foot in Sindh province and especially in Karachi. When the provincial leadership, especially former Sindh Governor and former Federal Minister Ali Zaidi, separated from the party, many other workers also became silent. At one time, fourteen members of the National Assembly of Karachi city belonged to PTI. The Governor of Sindh was Imran Ismail and the President was Dr. Arif Alvi. Since then, everyone has been living a life of secrecy. The Sindh administration has cracked down on their homes several times and political activities have been suspended. Now, if Salman Akram Raja has tried to bring together the scattered people in this situation, it is good for a political party. Only through political activities can democratic culture flourish in Pakistan.

Karachi Political Diary Mubasher Mir

 Karachi Political Diary 

Mubasher Mir

The political senario is always hot in its place, but it would certainly be a shame for the Sindh government that they appear to be failing in protecting the public. The death of a child in the North Karachi area has left the entire city in shock.

The Sindh Governor also made statements for the recovery of the child, but the body of the 11-year-old child who went missing on January 7 was finally recovered from a water tank. Such inhumane crimes are happening because people are not punished even for the biggest crimes. Most people are pushed to the courts to seek justice,  and humiliated in police stations and courts due to the corrupt police system. Political parties raise their voices for their political prisoners, but remain silent about the atrocities committed against the people.

In many areas of Sindh province, news of atrocities against women and children has been coming to light. A minor girl who was also a domestic worker was sexually assaulted by a Sindh priest and then she lost her life, but the influential priest silenced the relatives with the help of the administration. The Sindh government should formulate a comprehensive strategy to remove the obstacles to justice and then implement it.

Members of the Baloch Solidarity Committee took out a procession from Lyari, raising their voices for their rights and missing persons, while conducting an awareness campaign for a rally to be held in Dalbadin  but Karachi police arrested several people and beat up the rally participants.

It is surprising that the government cracks down on even peaceful rallies. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the right to peaceful protest cannot be taken away from any citizen.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, while addressing a seminar at the Karachi Press Club, also spoke about the rights of the people of Balochistan and called for the government to play a role in recovering missing persons.

After the verdict of the accountability court against former PTI chairman Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case, there has been a reaction from political leaders in Karachi. The PPP has supported the verdict, while the PPP is also a party whose three prime ministers have been victims of court decisions, in this regard, they are of the opinion that justice was not done to their leaders in the courts. While President Asif Ali Zardari has also been facing many cases, now that former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced, the PPP ministers have a different approach. It is as if political opposition is supported or opposed.

His party is going to challenge the decision made against the former prime minister in the High Court regarding the Al-Qadir Trust. There are many questions and unanswered questions in this regard, which are likely to come up in the High Court.

The sealed envelope that the former prime minister waved at the federal cabinet meeting to seek approval from ministers was not presented in court, and its contents should also be presented before the court.

If the UK crime agency had talked about the transfer of funds from the Pakistani government, then their correspondence should have also been presented in court. Surely the High Court will also reveal who bought which property in the UK with the money illegally sent from Pakistan.

It seems that some other facts related to this case are expected to come to light, which will help in forming a final opinion. While if the former Prime Minister took benefits for himself, they will also be evident. The decision has said that Al-Qadir Trust should be taken into the custody of the government. This decision also demands an answer as to what is the procedure for taking any private trust into government custody in Pakistan. Can the government appoint an administrator or dismiss the trustees? Of course, there will be a detailed discussion on this in the High Court.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has directed the Chief Minister of Sindh to establish a media university in Sindh. This is certainly a good announcement. In order to prepare the youth for the media industry in the future, there is a need to provide modern media education and modern media practices must also be adopted. In the current situation, the media industry is facing serious difficulties and problems, and full attention should be paid to this.

The work of the canal originating from the Kotri Barrage has not been completed yet, so there has been a disruption in the supply of water to Karachi. The water requirement of the city of Karachi is about 1200 cusecs per day, but there is a shortage of water supply, while the problem of its distribution mechanism does not end for the people. Along with this, if there is a disruption in the electricity system, the problems become doubly severe. The Water Board has not yet succeeded in creating an integrated system, while the Mayor of Karachi directly supervises it.

The Mayor of Karachi has also directed the MQM’s welfare organization Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation to use the property under its management legally. He believes that if the property under use is not allotted legally, it will be addressed under the KMC rules.

Many welfare organizations are working in Karachi city but many important properties are also under their use. Illegel settlements have been established on the sides of important highways, a policy should be given in this regard too. Every society needs welfare work but it is also necessary to establish a system for it. If the welfare organizations of political parties violate the law, then they will lose the moral justification to make statements about others.

There is a fear of the spread of Corona  in the city of Karachi. Many diseases arise due to dry cold. The poor sanitation system in the city has already made life unbearable. The city government should work together with the Ministry of Health to combat this situation.

Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary 

 Mubasher Mir

Since the formation of Pakistan, the city of Karachi has been expanding in a very strange way, where hundreds of slums have also been settled. For the past several years, efforts have been made to correct the town planning of this city, but stakeholders rarely agree on any one point. There was a lot of delay on the Lyari Expressway, but it has not yet been able to play a role in reducing the heavy traffic of the city. Similarly, the Northern Bypass is not of such a quality that the heavy traffic of Karachi Port can make it its passage. Now the Malir Expressway has been started, the first section of which was inaugurated by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and this 9-kilometer road was named Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway. On this occasion, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called it the most important in the development works of Karachi. A few days ago, he was announcing in Sukkur that the federal government and especially the PML-N’s thinking about motorways and metros is limited, now he himself has called the highway an important milestone.

However, it is necessary to understand that roads, railways, airlines, shipping and internet in telecommunications are all important sectors, all are important in their own place, none is less. For fast-paced development, it is necessary to connect all of them with the latest system. Circular railway is very important among the postponed projects of Karachi city, to start it, the federal and provincial as well as the Karachi city government should also intensify efforts. Now it seems that there should be a railway track on the Karachi-Hyderabad motorway because new cities are being built here. In the near future, a large population of Karachi city will move here, for which only the passenger train can provide cheap travel. If the government is interested, a consortium of new housing schemes to be built on the motorway can be organized, which can lay the railway track in collaboration with the federal and provincial governments, this can be a wonderful project of the future.

The first Governors Conference was held at the Governor House Sindh, in which the importance of making the constitutional role of the Governor effective was emphasized. The country has a parliamentary system in which the President in the federation and the Governor in the provinces perform their duties as the representative of the state. Looking at the economic condition of Pakistan, we can say that we cannot afford to run a large administrative system, for this it is necessary that the country has to spend immense resources in the administrative sector, which should be relieved. At present, these positions are often given not for the balance of power between political parties but to convey interests. The position of Governor seems to be redundant, the Governor of Sindh has successfully tried to use it in the public interest with his expertise, for which he has received public recognition.

Pakistan should create new provinces and have only elected provincial chief executives, while the country is in dire need of an effective local government system. Political parties should make serious efforts to make urban governance effective to involve the people in power.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited Karachi and appreciated the performance of the stock exchange. The market was showing a negative trend on the arrival of the Prime Minister, but the index crossing the psychological threshold of one lakh in this entire year is a milestone, but the market volume is still very small because the value of the domestic currency is very low compared to the dollar. But the active and dynamic stock market is welcome.

The Prime Minister must surely realize that the industry is facing a very difficult time due to the high electricity and gas prices, while the domestic consumers have been hit hard by inflation. Although interest rates have come down, construction and real estate are not yet fully operational. Pakistan needs a coherent economic plan, but this is possible only when there is political stability in the country and all political parties come together to create a coherent economy. So far, the talks between the government and the opposition have been volatile. Democracy will flourish only when the importance of the opposition is recognized and public opinion is respected.

Although Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticized the federation on the occasion of the inauguration of Shahrah Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and said that Sindh is being treated like a stepmother. The PPP is inquiring about the canal project from the federation, but the nationalist parties of Sindh are suspicious of the PPP and are openly criticizing that the PPP is apparently criticizing the federation regarding the Cholistan Canal, but in reality it has given its tacit consent to the federation. Shah Mehmood Qureshi has also addressed the PPP from jail that if you have any objection to the canal project, you should separate from the government alliance.

It is very difficult for the PPP to succeed in this style of politics. In Sindh, it has to remain in government at all costs, so it can only be a friendly opposition, but the Prime Minister is in his position with their votes. In reality, there is no threat to either of these parties from each other except  PTI, they are just playing a friendly match with each other.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari must be aware that Karachi’s number one problem is access to clean water. All the claims made about water supply have not been proven true. The tanker mafia has the support of influential political figures, unless the Sindh government cleans it up, it will not get public acceptance. Justice will have to be worked on to fix the water distribution system. If a particular area and group is being provided facilities above merit, then this system will never be right.

If Bilawal Bhutto Zardari wants to win the hearts of the people of Karachi, he should play a role in solving the water problem, otherwise his statements will not be of any benefit. Water is a profitable business in Karachi city, but it can only be run under the patronage of some people from the Water Board. An effort should be made to break the network of such people, only then will the people get real benefits.

Karachi Political Diary

 Karachi Political Diary 

Mubasher Mir

The birth anniversary of the leader of the people, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was celebrated on January 5. The purpose of celebrating the birthday is to discuss the life of that personality. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon in the Sindh Assembly paid tribute to the founder of the PPP, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In particular, getting the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 unanimously passed , that was his great achievement. 

In my point of view,that it is also unfortunate that the politicians who made 26 amendments to the same constitution failed to bring such amendments that would have improved governance. The primary problem in the current situation in Pakistan is political instability, which is due to politicians working at different times, instead of working on real issues, keeping their own interests in mind. Political parties have not transformed themselves into institutions. Political workers do not have the status that a political party should have. All political parties should think about how democracy will be strengthened in the country. Favoring special families will not grow democracy in the country. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's sacrifice will only pay off when political parties respect political workers.

Ms. Shazia Marri has taken the responsibility of threatening to separate from the government on several decisions of the federal government, but even a junior student of politics knows who formed the current government alliance and under what conditions. If any serious threat comes from the PML-N, it can certainly be regarding the office of the President, but the meetings between the Prime Minister and the President indicate that everything is good between them, but on the political front, verbal barrages are made only to tell the public that we are not part of the decisions, but it does not find any acceptance among the public. And public comments on social media indicate that the public is amused by the fight or rhetoric of politicians, and not worried.

In the Sindh Assembly, the MQM made a strong effort to protest and took the position that children of Karachi are being deliberately failed in large numbers in the intermediate exams. The MQM's protest is in its place, but the MQM's criminal silence on what has happened and is happening in Karachi demands an answer.

For the past few days, Karachi city has also been gripped by a severe cold wave, while the changing weather in Balochistan will further increase the cold. At the same time, people are seen in many open areas who do not have arrangements to protect themselves from the cold. All this indicates an increase in poverty. Federal government ministers are repeatedly making statements that poverty and inflation have decreased. But according to reports from international organizations, the number of poor people in Pakistan has increased. In such a situation, the claims of federal ministers seem hollow. The federal government controls energy prices and they have continuously increased. Electricity prices are out of reach of the people, while transport has become very expensive due to the increase in fuel charges. Its effects have also been felt on food items. Other essentials of life are not within the reach of the common man because there is unemployment and wages are not in line with the needs. In such a situation, public welfare projects should be started, but in Karachi city, a large number of people are seen outside the langarkhanas.

On January 5, solidarity was expressed with the people of occupied Kashmir across the country and messages were issued to commemorate the adoption of the plebiscite resolution by the United Nations Security Council in 1949. The journey of the eighth decade continues but this UN resolution has not been implemented. The sacrifices of the Kashmiris have also affected the whole world but India refused to acknowledge the world public opinion, but the people of Kashmir are waiting for the day when they will have to decide on their own merit that their future is linked to Pakistan. Pakistan is an advocate of the Kashmir cause in international forums and every Pakistani is advocating this. There are thousands of problems within Pakistan, the economy is suffering due to lack of political stability, it is facing movements like terrorism, extremism and separatism, but every government and people of Pakistan have a point of view on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan is helping the Kashmiris with every step, word, deed and is committed to providing political, legal and moral support.