Karachi – July 31, 2025:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan has lashed out at the deteriorating state of Karachi, saying the city is no longer a place to live but one to merely endure.
Speaking at a press conference, the senior MQM leader voiced strong criticism of the government’s neglect toward Pakistan’s largest metropolis. “Karachi is being systematically ruined,” he said. “It’s not a city where people live anymore — it’s a city where they suffer. No one knows where the billions of rupees from the World Bank are actually going.”
Khawaja Izhar highlighted that Karachi contributed over Rs 1,000 billion in taxes to the federal government last year alone, yet the city continues to lack even the most basic services. “From education to healthcare, everything is being treated like a business,” he said. “Our schools are in shambles, and our hospitals are in no better shape.”
He also took aim at the recent surge in electricity bills, accusing authorities of deliberately burdening Karachi. “They had a plan to make life even harder for this city, but our representatives in the Sindh Assembly pushed back and blocked it,” he said.
Detailing the impact of rising utility costs, Khawaja Izhar explained, “A bill of Rs 20,000 now ends up being Rs 32,000 after taxes and surcharges. K-Electric has been openly allowed to overcharge, and instead of accountability, they’re being rewarded.”
He added, “Whenever petrol prices go up, everything from rent to food becomes more expensive. Electricity bills are packed with unjustified taxes. A Rs 20,000 bill quickly turns into Rs 40,000 — and no one bats an eye. It seems like the PPP government has given a free hand to K-Electric.”
Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s call for bringing dollars into the country, the MQM leader questioned how foreign investment could be expected when the cost of living is skyrocketing. “When you can’t afford basic necessities, who in their right mind would invest here?” he asked.
