Pakistan: Karachi’s Opposition legislator locks himself up in office along with civic official
Rasheed takes the step to seek solution to chronic sewerage problem in his constituency
Karachi: An Opposition legislator, representing a backward neighbourhood of Karachi, has locked himself up in his office along with the water utility’s in-charge official of the area demanding solution to years-long sewerage problem in his constituency.
The self-imposed ordeal yielded results in just four hours as the Opposition lawmaker was given assurances by the city administration and top officials that manpower and machinery would be deployed to sort out the chronic sewerage problem very soon.
Syed Abdul Rasheed, Jamaat-e-Islami Member of Sindh Assembly, said that he resorted to the novel protest as a last resort to get emergency help from the authorities to ease the sufferings of the people in his constituency. Rasheed represents the Lyari area which is one of the oldest and most neglected neighbourhoods of Karachi.
Along with him was the Executive Engineer of Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, Shafi Magsi.
“I have locked myself in my office along with the engineer of the area to register my protest against the corrupt officials of Karachi Water & Sewerage Board who do nothing to resolve the issues of my constituency,” said the Opposition legislator in a video message released to the media after he started his protest.
He said the engineer had made promises and made efforts to sort out the issues but could not make any headway due to lack of resources, power and backing of the water utility higher-ups to resolve the persisting problem.
“I will keep myself locked up till the time senior officials of Karachi Water & Sewerage Board and Sindh Local Government Minister start the work to sort out the problems of my constituency,” he said.
The Opposition lawmaker said that he was ready to face the unpleasant consequences of his unusual way of protest whether it was in the form of arrest or lodging of a criminal case by the police.
After the concerned MPA received firm assurances that the civic issues of his area would be sorted out shortly, he decided to end his protest with a resolve to continue with his struggle for the deprived constituency residents.