KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Munem Zafar on Sunday accused provincial and city authorities of gross mismanagement over prolonged delays in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project, saying four workers have died so far as a result of the stalled works.
Speaking to media on University Road, Zafar described the Red Line scheme as a “torment” for Karachi’s residents and said the PPP government had “deceived the people” by failing to complete a project originally scheduled for 2023. “Four workers have lost their lives so far due to the delay in the project,” he said, linking the fatalities to ongoing disruption and construction activity.
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Zafar also sharply criticised the provincial party that has governed Sindh for 18 years, alleging it has “destroyed every road and institution in every city.” He singled out the condition of University Road, saying the prolonged works have ruined educational institutions and business centres located along the artery.
Directing questions at the city administration, Zafar demanded accountability from the mayor over the use of reported funds. “Mayor Karachi, tell me where the funds of Rs 55 billion are being spent? Why is garbage not being collected from the city?” he asked, warning that the mayor “will have to answer.”
The JI leader dismissed recent government claims of urban progress. “Murtaza Wahab calls it a year of progress, in reality it is a year of destruction,” Zafar said, adding that no new deadline for completing the Red Line project had been provided. He mocked public frustration, noting that social media now jokes the Strait of Hormuz might open before University Road is reopened to traffic.
Zafar concluded by promising political resistance: “The drama of enslaving people through the Wadera Shahi will not work in Karachi. We will raise the people against the oppressive system and stand for what is right.”
Requests for comment from PPP leaders and the Karachi mayor’s office were not included in Zafar’s remarks; the municipal and provincial authorities have not yet responded to the allegations in media coverage of the event.
