Karachi / June 16 – Opposition Leader in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Deputy Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi, Advocate Syed Saifuddin, has called for a forensic audit of Chanisar Town, alleging massive financial irregularities and political victimization under the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government.
Speaking at a press conference at the Chanisar Town Office in Sindhi Muslim Society, Advocate Saifuddin was joined by chairmen of three union councils from Chanisar Town, representatives of Tariq Road and Nursery trade bodies, and members of the local business community. The leaders jointly demanded the immediate withdrawal of the hike in property taxes, trade license fees, and other levies imposed in Chanisar Town. They accused the town administration, led by Chairman Farhan Ghani—brother of Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani—of bias, incompetence, and corruption.
Saifuddin alleged that the PPP forcibly installed its chairman in Chanisar Town, removing elected UC representatives affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami. “Farhan Ghani’s appointment is a clear example of political engineering, and his governance has been marked by incompetence, favoritism, and misuse of public funds,” he said.
He cited the awarding of a Rs 500 million development contract to Farhan Ghani and a Rs 1 billion project to MNA Niazi, both allegedly concentrated in Saeed Ghani’s provincial constituency, while neglecting the other UCs in the town. “Roads are broken, rain drains are clogged, and garbage is piling up. Yet, the administration is more focused on collecting unjustified taxes that were never approved by the council,” Saifuddin added.
Jamaat-e-Islami leadership, including Engineer Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Younis, Shahid Farman, Muhammad Bilal Baqi, Faraz Afridi, Taimur Ahmed, and local trade leaders like C.A. Azam Tariq and Afaq Ayub, echoed these concerns. They warned that failure to reverse the discriminatory actions and illegal taxes would result in street protests against the Sindh government.
Advocate Saifuddin also criticized the PPP, PML-N, and MQM, accusing them of collectively ignoring the rights of Karachi’s 35 million residents. He pointed out the federal and provincial governments’ lack of seriousness in resolving the city’s chronic water issues, especially the delayed K-4 water project. “Only Rs 3.2 billion was allocated by the federal government and a paltry Rs 100 million by the Sindh government for K-4 in the recent budget. This is criminal negligence,” he stated.
He further condemned the PPP’s control over Karachi’s institutions, citing the transformation of local departments into Sindh-wide bodies such as the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board and Sindh Building Control Authority. “Despite its inefficiency, particularly during Eid-ul-Adha, the Solid Waste Board failed Karachi. Yet, nine Jamaat-e-Islami town chairmen managed cleanup efforts to ease citizen suffering,” Saifuddin noted.
The press conference concluded with a firm warning: if discriminatory policies and tax hikes are not reversed, Jamaat-e-Islami will launch a movement against the Sindh government’s continued neglect of Karachi.
