KARACHI - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sunday staged a protest demonstration against acute shortage of water in the megacity and held the provincial government responsible for persisting water crisis.

According to details, a large number of PTI activists led by Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Haleem Adil Sheikh and MPAs elected from Karachi reached the Karachi Press Club (KPC) and held a protest. The protesters raised slogans of ‘Give water to Karachi’.

Addressing the demo, PTI Sindh chapter general secretary in Sindh assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh said that Asif Zardari would be in jail soon for his corruption and misdeeds. He said Zardari should give accountability of past 11 years. He said we are not asking Zardari about the issue of his wife’s death, but he would be surely made accountable for his corruption. He said the government of Imran Khan would not let go the thieves of sugar.

He said the rule of the uncle of Anwar Majeed would not be tolerated. He said this corruption mafia would be made accountable for every penny of the looted money. He said inquiry into corruption of Rs300billion has been started.

Haleem Adil said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah is also not innocent, as the key of the Sindh finance department is with him. He said the chief minister is generous in signing subsidies for the Omni Group, but his pen goes dry when it the matter of giving financial assistance of the poor people of Thar. He said they have made Karachi, particularly my constituency PS-99 without drinking water and with plenty of overflowing gutter water. He said Saeed Ghani would also be made accountable for his corruption. He said we are not afraid of the police and aunty corruption of Sindh rulers. He said Zardari should see what his ministers are doing. It is the matter for shame for the government of Sindh. He said the destination of our coming protest would the chief minister house. He said the next mandate in Sindh would be of PTI. He said now gas supply has been resumed and it is time that Murad Ali Shah should tell the people where the water supply to Karachi is.

He said we all see the crocodile tears of Sindh local government minister Saeed Ghani. He said when we took to the streets, the minister also came out. He said the PPP has been ruling Sindh for last 4000 days and why it has failed to give Karachi water. He asked when the city would get water. He said there would be hens and buffalos in houses. He said Imran Khan is strict in accountability of corrupt people.

PTI opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi in his address said that we were accountable for the gas supply. He said we believe in merit and would follow the merit. He said why the PPP is afraid of making public accounts committee of Sindh Assembly.

He said Zardari is the king of corruption. He said he would also drown along with the Omni Group. He said the forward groups have started to being formed. He said the PPP government is downing and we are rising. He said the rulers of Sindh are not capable of giving water to Karachi. He said they are ruling the province for last 11 years but have failed to deliver. He asked where they have spent the budget. He said half of the city is without drinking water and half other is inundated in gutter water. He said aggrieved people have already taken to streets. PTI MPA Jamal Siddiqui, MPA Saeed Afridi, MPA Raja Azhar, MPA Ramzan Ghanchi, MPA Malik Shahzad Awan, Dr Masroor Siyal and others also spoke.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Khurram Sher Zaman on Sunday cast doubt on the transparency of the ongoing anti-encroachment operation in the metropolis.

He said the operation is not being carried out in a transparent manner. Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar has been razing shops and houses of the poor only, he alleged.

When the Bilawal House’s walls, which have been erected on the footpath, will be pulled down, the PTI lawmaker questioned and claimed a politician owned a building built on the Nahr-e-Khayyam.

He further asked whether Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar’s directives with regard to demolition of illegal structures are for the poor only. The walls of the poor people’s houses are being demolished while the rich people’s palaces stand intact, he lamented.

Zaman asked the mayor if he was afraid of taking action against them, saying he is willing to take Mr Akhtar on a tractor to demolish illegal structures. He said he would respond to a Rs50 million defamation suit soon.

The PTI stands against any injustice meted out in the port city, he said and asserted it has nothing to do with the anti-encroachment drive.