Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Munim Zafar Khan criticized the federal budget, claiming it offers nothing but empty promises for Karachi. He also condemned Mayor Murtaza Wahab for trying to impose municipal utility charges on Karachi’s citizens through K-Electric bills, both during his tenure as administrator and now almost two years later. Zafar Khan announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would challenge the collection of municipal taxes through K-Electric bills in court, rejecting this method outright.
Speaking at a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, Zafar Khan highlighted that despite numerous announcements and claims, the federal budget has practically done nothing for Karachi. He questioned the fate of previously announced packages of Rs 1,100 billion and Rs 162 billion for Karachi, asking why funds were not allocated for the Green Line project and where the circular railway stands. He demanded a Rs 500 billion developmental package for Karachi.
Zafar Khan pointed out that the pre-budget economic survey revealed that the salaried class paid Rs 324 billion in taxes, while the landowning class contributed only Rs 4 billion. He criticized the lack of austerity measures for the elite, stressing the need for equitable taxation and effective utilization of funds for Karachi’s development.
