KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) convener Dr Farooq Sattar has said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led provincial government is responsible for the destruction of Karachi.

Addressing a press conference here at party’s central office in Pir Ilahi Bux Colony on Wednesday, Farooq said the city was being neglected for the last eight years.

He appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to bypass the provincial government and release funds for the municipal institutions of the mega city.

MQM-P leaders, including Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Senator Nasreen Jalil, Abdul Haseeb, Abdul Waseem and others were also present on the occasion.

Paying tributes to Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhter on the announcement of a 100-day plan to revamp Karachi, he said Wasim, in coordination with three District Municipal Corporations (DMCs), will give attention to the lifting of garbage and repair and carpeting of city’s main streets and roads from December 1.

“It is a good sign that Karachi mayor has taken a step for the betterment of the city despite limited resources,” he said, and announced complete support to Wasim on behalf of his party.

The MQM convener held the provincial government responsible for the destruction of Karachi, saying it even did not pay any heed to the state of cleanliness in the city. “This negligence on the part of the Sindh government has deprived the citizens of municipal services,” he said.

Farooq also appealed to civil society, NGOs, traders, corporate sector, people associated with construction industry, PIA and other institutions to take part in the mayor’s 100-day drive to restore the clean image of Karachi.

Meanwhile District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Central Chairman Rehan Hashmi is going to kick off a 100-day cleanliness campaign in different union councils of the city as per the instructions of Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar.

In a special meeting with UC chairmen, vice chairmen and UC councilors here on Wednesday, Hashmi said that the campaign would turn out to be a milestone in the progress of DMC Central.

He further said that it was difficult to address thousands of problems just in 100 days.

“All elected members of the UCs are ready to take this task as a challenge,” he added.

He demanded the Sindh government to allocate reasonable amount of funds to the elected city government in order to enable it to serve the people in a better way.

Sharing details of the 100-day campaign, Vice Chairman Syed Shakir Ali said that first selected schools, dispensaries, parks, playgrounds would be upgraded, and made garbage free.