KARACHI  -  Local government representatives, belonging to opposition parties, staged a protest demonstration against the Pakistan People Party over discrimination in connection with issuance of funds to union councils. The protest was unique in nature as it was staged by the elected representatives outside the city council that houses the mayor office, here on Thursday. Saifuddin Advocate, the leader of the opposition, in his address said that the occupation mayor only blessed the UC chairmen belonged to the PPP when it comes to development funds and schemes.

He said that the PPP had been ruling over the Sindh province for the past 16 months and the occupation mayor had been imposed on Karachi for one and half years.

The prolonged PPP rule has established that it would never provide any rights or justice to anyone, he said, adding that the PPP only boosted corruption and corrupt practices in the province. He added that the situation in even interior areas of the province was evident on it.

On the occasion, he demanded equal funds for all towns in Karachi and monetary as well as administrative powers for chairmen of union councils.  The JI leader demanded that all the development works be carried out under the supervision of UC chairmen in order to ensure transparency.  He further said that all the contracts by the city government are being awarded without tenders-a sheer violation of laws and regulations. The CLICK awarded contracts worth Rs4 billion in the recent past without any tender, whereas the mega city couldn’t witness any betterment.

Saifuddin Advocate said that the World Bank and Islamabad lend trillions of rupees for development in Karachi but the hefty funds were syphoned to corruption under the PPP rule. He added that the opposition has decided to approach the lenders to highlight the corruption, plundering and abuse of funds provided by them to the PPP government.

The JI leader said that the PPP was imposed on Karachi and Karachiites through unfair means. As a result, he said, those bagged three fourth votes in the city has been protesting, whereas those with only 25 percent votes despite all rigging have been ruling over the city.  Later he exposed the PPP’s hooliganism and revealed that outsiders were placed in the city council and the media gallery in order to threaten the media persons and to manipulate the session.  PTI and JI leaders also addressed the participants of the event. The protesters, carrying placards and banners, chanted slogans against the PPP’s misconduct.