Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) staged protests at multiple locations across Karachi on Friday, 6 June, demanding urgent government action on the city's deepening water crisis, with party leaders warning of sit-ins and a strike if authorities failed to act. The central demonstration was held outside the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) building on M.A. Jinnah Road, where the mayor's office — which also chairs the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) — is located.

Protests Paralyse Key Arteries

Elected JI local government representatives led the demonstration outside the KMC building, causing major traffic disruptions in the surrounding area. Thousands of vehicles were reportedly caught in a two-hour gridlock on Korangi Road, with snarls extending across several other parts of the city. Protesters carrying placards and banners raised slogans against persistent water shortages, the tanker mafia, and what they described as the provincial government's 'visionless leadership'.

The Scale of Karachi's Water Shortfall

Karachi is currently grappling with a water shortfall of more than 600 million gallons per day (MGD) against a daily demand of 1,250 MGD, according to reports. The deficit has forced large sections of the city's population to depend on irregular municipal supply or expensive private water tankers. Protesters alleged that tanker prices have surged from Pakistani Rs 2,000 to between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 — a five-to-sevenfold increase — as private operators exploit the shortage.

What JI Leaders Said

Saifuddin, JI Karachi's acting chief and opposition leader in the KMC, accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government and the city mayor of lacking both the ability and the will to resolve Karachi's civic problems. He alleged that the city has been systematically neglected despite being Pakistan's economic hub. 'Citizens are begging for every drop of water while 70 to 80 per cent of the city faces acute shortages,' he was quoted as saying by the Pakistani daily Dawn. Saifuddin dismissed official claims that the crisis was under control, citing ongoing shortages in Surjani Town, Orangi, Lyari, New Karachi, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Safoora, Nazimabad, and Murad Memon Goth. He also raised concerns over recurring technical breakdowns at Dhabeji Pumping Station, alleging that such faults repeatedly occurred ahead of Ramazan and Eid.

Opposition Demands and Earlier Protests

The JI demonstration follows a similar protest last month by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers in the Sindh Assembly, who gathered in front of the podium demanding immediate restoration of water supply ahead of Eidul Azha and chanted 'Give water to Karachi'. Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi said that Karachi 'was thirsty for every drop of water' while authorities watched like 'silent, senseless spectators', adding that he had personally tried to procure a water tanker for two days without success, according to reports. Both protests have centred on a shared demand: early completion of the K-IV water supply project and strict action against water theft.

What Comes Next

JI has warned it will escalate to sit-ins and a city-wide strike if the authorities do not resolve what it called an 'artificial water crisis'. With summer temperatures rising and two major political parties now publicly pressing the Sindh government, pressure on the provincial administration is likely to intensify in the days ahead.