Ownership necessary for progress of Karachi, says Justice Wajihuddin 

KARACHI: Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed, a retired justice of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan, human rights activist, and former chief justice (CJ) of Sindh High Court (SHC), took up a leading role in the lawyer’s movement in 2007.

He served as SHC CJ from November 5, 1997 to May 4, 1998. He was moved to the SC in 1998. During his tenure as SHC CJ, a large number of suo motu actions were taken. In 2011, he joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), being the party’s candidate for the presidential election in July 2013.

Read more: Karachi, Lahore remain polluted, troubled cities

He lost the election to Mamnoon Hussain of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Later, Justice Wajihuddin left the PTI owing to differences with the party’s top leadership and formed his own political party, Aam Log Ittehad. Here he talks to Bol News about his vision for improving Karachi.

Q: What is the underlying cause of Karachi’s stagnation?

To trace what happened, we have to look back to the history of Partition. As we know, to perform this job the then head of the Commonwealth King George VI sent his cousin Lord Mountbatten to India as his last viceroy. He arrived in India in February 1947 with a mandate to accomplish the task by June 1948.

Impatient to become the joint Governor-General of Pakistan and India, Mountbatten decided that the only way forward was a quick transfer of power by August 1947.

This premature Partition resulted in a deadly mass movement of people instead of a relatively simpler, less violent partition. Abrupt and unplanned migration occurred on both sides of the newly established dominions of India and Pakistan.

The botched process of Partition not only resulted in the deaths of more than a million people but also the displacement of around 15 million. The educated and progressive Sindhi Hindu community settled in Karachi also migrated to India en masse leaving behind a small section of the Hindu population in Tharparkar and other small towns.

Read more: A taste of Hyderabad Deccan in Karachi

With their sudden and abrupt departure, Karachi became vulnerable and the pace of progress came to a grinding halt. Muslims were neither as educated nor culturally advanced, so they refused to accept the ownership of the metropolis. Moreover, they preferred to remain idle as agricultural landowners were drowned in heavy debts by mortgaging their lands to urban Hindu traders.

However, migration of wealthy Hindus eventually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Muslim landlords. With the mass migration of Hindus, the Muslim landlords got their land back without paying the debts and remained happy, eventually never caring to do anything for the city they belonged to. In fact, they never owned this city. Ownership is the mentality that stimulates growth and creates enthusiasm among the citizens of a city. It is about development goals, ideas and a feeling of camaraderie. Ownership cannot be delegated. It is a feeling that is held or generated by leaders. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find any leader who could develop a sense of ownership among the citizens of Karachi.

Q: What was the influence of Karachi’s pre-Partition Hindu community like?

It all started with the construction of Sukkur Barrage in 1930 which brought agricultural changes in Sindh. The Hindu community at the time took full advantage of the opportunity. In quest of benefitting from the politico-cultural change, they learnt modern values and traditions and transformed their own community. They adopted a modern and colonial education.

Under the influence of the Hindu community, the city of Karachi was transformed on the basis of modern city planning. They built schools, colleges, public buildings such as gardens, libraries, public halls, hospitals and clubs, changing the entire social and cultural milieu of the port city. However, this process of cultural development ceased in 1947. After much disappointment and disenfranchisement, the educated and progressive Sindhi Hindu community left en masse for India.

Read more: PTI to deal with inflation in six months, says Sindh lawmaker Raja Azhar

Those members of the Hindu community who migrated from Karachi were so enterprising that most of them were now running growing businesses in Hong Kong, Bangkok and a number of other countries. With Partition, Sindhi Hindus ended up in Hong Kong, where they made a new life but never forgot their cultural heritage.

Q: Do you foresee any positive change in Karachi?

In short, the situation of Karachi cannot change unless flawed census results which had an impact on the division of resources nationwide [are] rectified. The undercounting in Karachi was a particularly sensitive issue, considering the treatment the metropolis receives from both federal and Sindh governments.

Therefore, there was an urgent need for fresh census followed by fair and free elections, resulting in the emergence of genuine political leadership in the city. I have therefore launched my own political party named Aam Log Ittehad (Alliance of Common People).

Read more: 21pc of children in Karachi have stomach worms, say experts

According to the party’s constitution, 80 per cent representation would be given to ordinary people at local, provincial and national levels. It is a bitter truth that only 1pc, or the elite of Pakistan, had hijacked the entire system of institutional governance while ordinary people watch on. Now is the time to bring change.

Q: Why did not even a single local leader or resident of Karachi do any better for the city?

If we talk about Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, despite being educated he remained a landlord. Feudalism was a major hurdle in the way of progress and prosperity of the country because the feudal lords do not let their subjects prosper. His policy of nationalising local industrial units in fact speaks a lot about his feudal mindset.

He never wanted to see the business community flourish. Even his land reforms lacked honesty and sincerity. One can go and check the acres of land his children and grandchildren had inherited. In short, all we need is a sincere leader. Let me point out that even Muttahida Qaumi Movement failed to deliver as representatives of Karachi.

Q: What are your plans as a party leader for the country’s prosperity?

I am all for granting agriculture the status of an industry and extend all those facilities to the agriculture sector applicable to industries only. Land reforms of 1959, 1972 and 1977 be implemented in letter and spirit and accordingly landless farmers be provided land. I believe that the best way to restrict migration from rural areas to urban areas is to set up agro-based industries. On the other hand, barren lands be acquired for developing settlements for the growing population.

Q: Do you think that Karachi should be federally administered?

I do not believe that is the solution for such action may possibly result in bloodshed. Instead, measures be taken to provide civic amenities to the residents of Karachi. It is time for the rise of genuine leadership, a leader who is ready to live and die in Karachi, his own city.

Q: Do you think shifting federal capital from Karachi to Islamabad was a good decision?

Although it created a feeling of dejection among the residents of Karachi, it was not a bad decision. Islamabad was externally more secure than Karachi and it did not affect the status of Karachi’s position as an economic hub.

Read more: Sindh govt finalises Karachi Waste to Energy Policy 2021

There were two ports in the city and both were bustling with economic activity. Moreover, the city was very calm and peaceful and above all it has many tourist attractions. So in my opinion Islamabad was a better choice for capital.

Q: What, in your opinion, will become of Karachi?

I think the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) [is] playing a detrimental role for the city. The PPP-led government in Sindh seemed to fail in realising the consequences of their actions. However, wittingly or unwittingly, they [are] moving in this direction. In my opinion, the rulers of Sindh [are] probably doing it quite knowingly as if they had solely been appointed to steer the city towards more chaos by pushing it to absolute independence or something similar. How could one kill the hen that lays the golden egg?

No one can deny the fact that the revenue generated by interior Sindh was minuscule compared to the revenue generated by Karachi alone. If you go out of Karachi and see Larkana city, the PPP’s stronghold, you will find the city in shambles. I strongly feel they [are] not fools and were intentionally working on a well-defined agenda to get things done in their favour.