‘Karachi has suffered due to a delay in LG polls’

An interview with Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Chief Engr Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman

Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman is a Pakistani politician and the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Karachi. A brave man with a sound reputation and level-headed approach, Naeem has endeared himself to the Karachiites for his focused approach and unflinching stance against the blundering Sindh Government. He has led multiple protests in Karachi to fight for the city’s rights. A well-educated man, Naeem received a Civil Engineering degree from NED University of Engineering & Technology and a Master’s degree in Islamic History from Karachi University (KU). He joined Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) in 1990 and in 1994, he was elected president of IJT NEDNUET, his first notable position in the student political organization. He was president of IJT twice and later joined JI in the year 2000. He also served as Karachi’s Assistant Secretary, General Secretary, and Deputy Emir. In 2013, he was appointed as the ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Karachi chapter.Bol News speaks with the JI leader about the ECP’s indication to postpone local body elections yet again, its implications and consequences, and a variety of other pressing political and societal issues.

The Sindh government has indicated that the local body elections will be postponed once more. What is Jamaat-e-Islami’s plan of action if the elections are not held on the current date?

Engr Naeem ur Rehman: The Pakistan People’s Party recognises its defeat and is turning away from the local body elections. The city has already suffered irreparable damage as a result of the two-year delay in elections. They are depriving the people of their democratic rights by failing to hold elections. They claim to be democratic, but their actions are dictatorial. Previous local body elections were also held after court orders and a six-year delay. With a feudal mindset, the People’s Party does not want authority delegated to lower levels.

The PPP leadership understands how to indulge in the name of democracy. The Sindh government of the PPP ran the system through an administrator for six years, with full support from the Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). If the local government elections are obstructed once more and do not take place on October 23rd, Jamaat-e-Islami will vehemently protest using democratic means and take to the streets with public power. Aside from that, the JI will follow the usual legal procedures.

The status of the local government law remains unchanged; will you take part in local government elections with the same law?

NR: As a result of Jamaat-e-Islami’s long struggle, an agreement on the provisions relating to powers in the Local Government Act was reached, and implementation was about to begin. However, the Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) halted the process and formed a new alliance with the ruling party, repeating history. Previously, when the MQM was in power, they took power away from Karachi and transferred it to the provinces.

Our position remains unchanged, while the Supreme Court ruled that local governments should be granted all rights under Article 140 A of the Constitution. This process is ongoing, but it has been purposefully delayed by both MQM and PPP. MQM, on the other hand, claims that local body elections should be postponed until they obtain the necessary powers, but does nothing in practise. As a result of the PPP and MQM’s collaboration, the institutions have been disempowered, and local body elections are not taking place. JI believes that both tasks should be completed simultaneously; the transfer of powers can be completed in a week alongside the elections.

The Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded that KE’s licence be revoked. What are the alternatives if the licence is cancelled?

NR: KE has evolved into a mafia, with complete support and protection from political mafias in both the province and the centre. Karachi not only serves as the country’s economic nerve centre, providing a living for people from all over the country, but also contributes significantly to the national exchequer. The city’s tax submissions increased by a whopping 42 percent this year. Despite paying excessive bills, the city and its residents have been subjected to prolonged power outages.

The Jamaat-e-Islami demands that the KE’s licence be revoked, that more companies enter the sector, and that the company’s accounts be forensically audited. We demand that KE immediately suspend its power generation function and that the city rely on the National Grid and the National Transmission & Dispatch Company (NTDC) to meet its electricity consumption needs. Pakistan’s electricity production is in surplus, and the power producers have already been paid under the contract. It is worth noting that it is less expensive than KE’s produced electricity. We are perplexed as to why the entire burden is being borne by Karachi’s consumers.

Despite earning billions of rupees in net profit, the company was not intended to end load shedding, in open violation of the agreement with the state. This year alone, the company’s profit increased by 22 per cent.

Why did Jamaat-e-Islami not hire a third party for the referendum to avoid questions about transparency?

NR: There can be no doubt about the transparency of the referendum because information on those who voted in it has been collected, including names, mobile phone numbers, and signatures. This ballot paper is a document that can be presented and double-checked anywhere. Aside from that, the people of Karachi have a very clear opinion about K-Electric, which is reflected in the referendum. If it is challenged, its transparency will be exposed in front of all.

The court has also granted a stay of KMC charges, and we have filed a complaint in court regarding the fuel adjustment costs. In light of these circumstances, NEPRA has granted Karachi residents Rs 4.87 relief.

How will resources be generated if JI wins the local body elections? What are your plans?

NR: KMC and towns will be provided with resources for basic and immediate needs, but large projects such as K4 and mass transit will be funded based on how effectively and willingly the elected mayor wants work done. If he continues to cry, as others have in the past, the situation will remain the same. However, JI has previously delivered, and the action definitely speaks for itself. If JI wins the election, no party will be able to ignore municipal power because there will be public power behind the mayor of JI.

What is your party’s position on people’s bus service?

NR: Everyone knows that the project of people’s bus service was a sham, with only a few buses running on the streets of the city of more than 2 million people. Every time for the last eight years, a new date was given, and when it was finally launched, it turned out to be a joke for the karachites. After a long and agonising wait, the Sindh government launched the project with 200 buses and no integrated system that could withstand a rainstorm. It was done in a rush before the second round of municipal elections on July 24, only to entice potential voters in the city with hollow promises.

What was once a national-level party is now only a city-level party; how do you see the JI’s future?

NR: JI is currently the country’s only active party engaged in public politics, discussing people’s problems and serving the people. During the flood, everyone saw and recognised that only JI and its workers were assisting all the distressed and disaster-stricken people from Swat to Badin, Balochistan, and South Punjab. If the people do not disregard this service, Jamaat-e-Islami will reappear as a national party, not just in Karachi.

However, ignoring it will be to the people’s detriment. JI operates and will continue to operate under the ideology of “beyond defeat and victory,” and it is expected that JI will soon become the voice of the entire country.