The recent surge in political parties trying to rally the average citizen on a range of issues is both alarming and amusing. From infrastructure to water, power to inflation, every party seems to have appointed themselves champions of Karachi and are aggressively campaigning on the same.

It is alarming because of the coincidental timing, with everyone coming out onto the streets. One wonders if this is the first step on the road to the 2018 elections. It is amusing because the people of Karachi – and indeed the country – voted for their representatives with the hope that tangible action would be taken to address the myriad problems facing them. After a seemingly long lull where the status quo has not changed for the better, to raise such a hue and cry is counterproductive. One would hope that the political parties, realising that their window is shrinking, use the remaining time to create actionable policies which can improve the situation. Instead, we see a blocking of roads and further inconvenience to their constituencies.

Actions speak louder than words, and as a citizen of Karachi, I have seen more of the latter than the former. What will it take for these parties to give up their point-scoring tactics and take their responsibility seriously enough to exact a change?

SIRAJ MUNEER,

Karachi, April 14.