Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized the alleged hypocrisy of the provincial administration, questioning the public mourning over an incident in Lahore while maintaining “complete silence on dozens of tragedies in Karachi” where precious lives have been lost in incidents like falling into unsecured manholes.
Reacting strongly to recent statements by Provincial Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Peoples Party MPA Heer Soho, PDP Karachi President Abdul Hakim Quaid on Tuesday challenged the ruling Peoples Party’s development narrative, asking how long it will continue to offer citizens “hollow slogans, false promises, and imaginary development.”
Quaid refuted Minister Memon’s claims that significant development work is underway across the city, stating that the ground realities are in stark contrast to the claims of new roads and modern bus services. He pointed to the long-standing dilapidated condition of major thoroughfares like University Road, which he said has been awaiting reconstruction for years after being dug up.
According to the Pasban leader, most of the city’s roads are in a dilapidated state, with potholes and scattered debris everywhere making daily life miserable for residents. He accused the government of engaging in excessive self-praise after building one or two roads, while neglecting the rest of the vast city.
Highlighting the double standard, Quaid said that Peoples Party representatives are making political statements over an incident in Lahore, but after numerous fatal accidents in Karachi, no government official has resigned, nor has any effective action been taken. He referred to the normalization of deaths from falling into manholes and asked, “Are the citizens of Karachi not citizens? Do their lives have no value?”
Concluding his statement, Abdul Hakim Quaid urged the Peoples Party to stop “show-off announcements” and instead focus on improving the state of Sindh, particularly in education and health. He demanded the immediate and high-quality reconstruction of Karachi’s dilapidated roads, securing manholes and the sewerage system, and holding officials responsible for the accidents accountable.