Jamaat-e-Islami Demands Sindh CM’s Resignation, Announces Million March in Karachi

Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has demanded the resignation of the Sindh Chief Minister over the Gul Plaza tragedy and announced a “Million March” in Karachi on February 1.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the Million March would be held in Karachi with participation from people across all districts. He questioned how long Karachi’s residents would continue to suffer, saying they fall victim to fires one day and open gutters the next. “The Sindh Chief Minister should now step down,” he said.

He criticized governance in Karachi, stating that if the Sindh Building Control Authority had been functioning properly, the Gul Plaza incident would not have occurred. Referring to a previous statement by the Army Chief, Hafiz Naeem said that the system which once worked in Karachi has now shifted to Islamabad, questioning who should be held accountable.

Hafiz Naeem alleged serious administrative failures during the Gul Plaza fire, claiming that fire tenders reached the site late and lacked water and diesel, while firefighters were not equipped with proper safety gear. He accused the Sindh government of misappropriating trillions of rupees while failing to provide modern equipment to rescue services, asking where Rs3,360 billion had gone.

He also strongly criticized PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, saying that Bilawal had begun portraying himself as a “wonder boy” through what he described as political theatrics. “Bilawal’s briefings, corruption, performance claims, and looting are burning in the flames of Gul Plaza,” he remarked.

The Jamaat-e-Islami chief also demanded that the Punjab government withdraw what he termed the “black law” related to local government elections, claiming that 97 percent of people had rejected it in a public referendum. He warned that if their demands were not accepted, Jamaat-e-Islami would also stage a siege of the Punjab Assembly.