‘We didn’t know it’d be Dr Sagheer’

Constituents of PS-117 ‘shocked’ by Dr Sagheer Ahmed’s decision to join Kamal and Qaimkhani 

Karachi

As the Kamal-Qaimkhani duo turned into a trio with Dr Sagheer Ahmed also switching to their side on Monday, voters of PS-117, the constituency from which the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s dissident leader has announced his resignation, are shocked.

“Sagheer bhai was elected thrice from our constituency and his resignation has come as shock to me,” said Faraz*, an MQM supporter and resident of the constituency.

 “I have remained his close associate and he has always been respected by the community because of his humbleness,” he added. “We were listening to rumours about other MQM leaders joining Mustafa Kamal, but had no clue that he [Ahmed] will switch his loyalties this way.”

Faraz said Ahmed met with his constituents and listened to their problems, but there were not many development projects to his credit during his almost 11-year tenure in the constituency.

He added that the former MPA had not helped in the uplift of the lower-income areas which fell under his constituency. 

“Apart from constructing a morgue on Jahangir Road near the Imambargah Shah-e-Najaf, I don’t remember many developments projects in the constituency,” said Usman*, an angry MQM activist.

“No attention was paid to Usmania Mohajir Colony, Patel Para and other thickly populated areas of lower-income families where there’s garbage and filth.”

In 2005, Ahmed was elected as an MPA for the first time in the constituency in the by-elections on December 10 after the seat was vacated by the then MQM leader Mustafa Kamal following the latter’s election as the mayor of Karachi.

Ahmed had remained associated with the MQM for 28 years and elected to the provincial assembly seat from PS-117 in 2008 and 2013 as well.

During his time as an elected representative, Ahmed served as the provincial minister for environment and health from 2008 to 2014.

His portfolio of the health department was taken back in 2014, but he remained a member of a provincial assembly’s standing committee.

Dr Aftab Ali, a professor of political science who lives in the constituency, recalled that Jahangir Road was turned into a double-sided thoroughfare during Ahmed’s fist tenure and its construction had brought much-needed relief to residents and commuters.

The areas that fall under PS-117 include PIB Colony, Aminabad, Clayton Quarters, Jamshed Quarters, Jehangir Road, Martin Quarters, Usmania Mohajir Colony, Pakistan Quarters, Islam Nagar, People’s Colony, Mohammadi Colony, Mustafa Colony, Patel Para, Garden East, Soldier Bazaar, Parsi Colony and Catholic Colony.

The professor added that some areas in the colony were unauthorised and it was a common practice to build encroachments after giving money to some party activists. 

“The water tanker mafia has been operating for a long time on a road between Martin Quarters and Usmania Mohajir Colony,” he added.

“The road is now in shambles while tankers are illegally parked there creating problems for the residents.”

He said as long Ahmed was seen on ground, he tried to address the problems as much as he could, but since he left visiting the constituency, matters grew worse.

An old resident of the Martin Quarters said Ahmed was a resident of the area, but had later moved to Gulistan-e-Jauhar and then to Gulshan.

“I’m not concerned about his attachment to any party. He listened to our problems and did whatever he could do unlike many other MQM leaders who are good for nothing,” he added.

“As he [Ahmed] has admitted that he had been unable to serve his voters as he was serving someone else, what else I can say after that.”

*Names changed to protect privacy