By Ahsan Mughal
KARACHI: Senior MQM-Pakistan leader Dr Farooq Sattar has alleged that 25 towns in Karachi have refused to take responsibility for retired municipal employees, leaving them in a financial limbo.
Speaking at a press conference at MQM-Pakistan’s headquarters in Bahadurabad, Sattar accused both the provincial and federal governments of neglecting Karachi’s workforce, stating that the city’s residents continue to face exploitation.
He claimed that after 2016, MQM was stripped of its control over local government institutions, with administrative powers handed over to feudal lords. He also criticised what he described as “16 years of the worst, most corrupt governance in Sindh,” announcing that MQM was preparing a white paper on the issue, which would be published after Ramadan.
According to Sattar, retired employees of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) have not received their dues since 2017. He asserted that under the 18th Amendment, it is the Sindh government’s responsibility to ensure these payments.
“Why are municipal employees being treated like stepchildren?” he questioned, further alleging that Karachi’s job quota was being unfairly allocated to individuals with fake domiciles from other districts of Sindh. “If the retirement funds have been misused, an investigation must take place,” he demanded, calling on Chief Minister Sindh to implement a uniform policy to ensure fair employment opportunities for Karachi’s residents.
