KARACHI: Sindh’s senior minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, has defended the provincial government’s response to the recent downpours, insisting that Karachi’s stormwater drains had been completely cleaned and that rainwater was flowing out as expected.
Speaking to the media, Memon noted that climate change is being discussed worldwide, and Pakistan is no exception, with heavy rains affecting all four provinces. He expressed sorrow over the loss of more than 300 lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to flooding and rain-related incidents, calling the situation “deeply regrettable.”
He stressed that future governments must adopt policies that address climate change, adding that traditional short-term measures are no longer sufficient. Criticizing political rivals, Memon said one party had been rejected by voters while the MQM opted to boycott local body elections because it knew it would not secure any seats.
The minister maintained that the Sindh government, alongside the chief minister, mayor, and local administration, was fully mobilized on the ground during the rains. “If any shortcomings have come forward, we will address them. But I want to make it clear that the city’s drains were completely clean and the rainwater was draining out,” he said.
Memon admitted that the rains caused several hours of disruption and hardship for residents, and that road conditions deteriorated due to waterlogging and road cutting. “The real challenge now is rebuilding and repairing the damaged roads,” he added.
He further stated that every town administration had carried out work in its respective areas and emphasized that he would not engage in blame games. “This is not the time to point fingers. We must move toward a long-term strategy because the kind of rain we see today is no longer routine.”
