JI MPA locks up himself in office with KWSB official in protest

Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Syed Abdul Rasheed on Thursday adopted a unique way of protest against the chronic sewerage problem of his constituency by locking himself up in his office with the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board’s (KWSB) incharge of his area.

The sole lawmaker of the JI in the Sindh Assembly, who represents Lyari in the legislature, locked himself up in his office with KWSB Executive Engineer (XEN) Shafi Magsi, who is responsible for the water utility’s affairs in the neighbourhood.

“I have locked myself up in my office with the XEN of the area to protest against corruption by the officials of the KWSB, and the water utility’s inaction in the area of Lyari,” the MPA said in a video message released to the media.

He acknowledged that the XEN had earlier promised him of resolving the sewerage problems of his constituency and also made continuous efforts for the purpose. However, he lamented, the official had failed to deliver as the water utility’s incharge official lacked any authority to serve the residents.

The MPA said he would keep himself locked up in his office with the XEN until the KWSB’s superintendent engineer, chief engineer and managing director, and the Sindh local government minister took the needful steps to resolve the severe sewerage issues of Lyari.

He said he had adopted such a way of protest as a last resort so that the XEN could be empowered, because it seemed that the official’s hands were tied, since the KWSB’s labourers and vehicles did not come into action despite the XEN’s orders.

Rasheed said he was prepared to face any of the harsh consequences of his protest, either in the form of imprisonment or the lodging of a criminal case against him, but his agitation would continue until the resolution of the area’s sewerage problems.

He said he would not let the residents of his constituency become victims of the alleged vengeance being demonstrated by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. However, he ended his protest by leaving his office after nearly four hours on the solemn assurance given by the KWSB’s MD and the district administration that the sewerage problems of his constituency would be resolved swiftly.

A meeting has been convened at the office complex of the area’s deputy commissioner on Friday afternoon to chalk out a strategy for resolving the sewerage problems of the lawmaker’s constituency.

The JI MPA vowed that he would continue his struggle until the resolution of the civic issues of his constituency, warning that he would not tolerate any political interference in the matter.