MQM-P lawmakers assail Karachi water, power disruptions during Muharram

KARACHI: MQM-P lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly on Monday criticised the provincial government over water shortages and lengthy, unannounced electricity cuts in Karachi during Muharram, saying the situation had intensified hardship for residents and mourners across the city.

In a joint statement issued from the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters, the party’s MPAs said the failure to ensure basic services during a period of large religious gatherings and processions reflected poor administration. They said electricity outages lasting 14 to 18 hours in severe heat and humidity had made conditions difficult for those attending majalis and mourning processions.

The lawmakers also alleged coordination failures involving the Karachi Water and Sanitation Corporation and K-Electric, claiming the disruption had affected large parts of the metropolis. They named Surjani, Orangi, Liaquatabad, Malir, Landhi and Clifton among the areas where residents were facing problems related to water and electricity supply.

They further pointed to civic conditions along procession routes, criticising overflowing sewage and the lack of streetlights near imambargahs. The MQM-P lawmakers said these conditions showed what they described as negligence on the part of the Sindh government during Muharram.