JI protests Karachi water shortages, warns of strikes
The protest, held across multiple locations in the city, comes as Karachi residents face severe water scarcity, with tanker prices doubling during the recent Eid holidays and basic supplies unavailable even for bathing, according to witnesses and party officials.
Advocate Saif ud Din, a leader of Jamaat e Islami, addressed the crowd and criticized both the city administration and the Sindh provincial government for what he called systemic negligence.
"The mayor of Karachi probably does not listen from a distance, which is why we are protesting outside his office," Saif ud Din told Reuters on the sidelines of the protest. "Karachi receives less water than its normal requirements."
He referred to a water supply plan previously prepared by the late Nematullah Khan, alleging that a new canal intended to improve supply from Hub Dam had been abandoned. He also questioned the repeated breakdown of water supply lines.
"How do the lines know that Eid is coming, that Ramadan is coming, or that a festival is approaching? They break two to three times a month," he said.
Saif ud Din also took aim at Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, accusing them of incompetence.
"Murad Ali Shah, you have imposed an incompetent person upon Karachi — someone who is simultaneously chairman of the Water Board and the Solid Waste Board. Yet the city's condition is worsening daily," he said.
"I tell Murtaza Wahab and the Sindh government that the protest is still peaceful for now. But this protest can turn into strikes, and a movement like 1977 can also be launched. Before there is no place left to hide in Karachi, they should come to their senses."
The party leader urged Karachi residents to join the movement, saying, "I also tell the citizens of Karachi that if you come out of your homes, your problems will be solved."
Mayor Murtaza Wahab and the Sindh government have not yet issued an official response to the protest. Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, has long struggled with inadequate water supply, crumbling roads, and broken sewage and drainage systems.