A multipartite conference (APC) convened by the Sindh government to combat the growing number of traffic accidents in Karachi concluded with a unanimous decision to maintain the apolitical problem, Express News reported.
The main stakeholders, including political parties and transport representatives, have agreed that accidents should not be politicized, while putting pressure for compensation for the families of the victims.
The conference, held on the directives of the Sindh chief, Murad Ali Shah, brought together representatives of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), the National Awami Party (ANP) and the president of the Dumper association.
Sindh Prime Minister Sharjeel Memon, addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, said all stakeholders had agreed that traffic accidents should not be used for the political score.
He stressed that the carriers had also shared their concerns, and all the participants seemed a consensus according to which road safety should be approached by concrete measures rather than by political rhetoric.
Referring to a recent fatal accident in Chowrangi prison involving an oil tanker, Memon confirmed that the responsible driver had been arrested.
He underlined the need to prevent similar incidents and warned against political maneuvers around such tragedies, declaring that external forces could exploit the situation.
“We all agree that accidents should not be politicized. Instead, solutions should be sought thanks to political improvements and the police, “he added.
MQM-P, JI and ANP of the request for remuneration
The chief of MQM-P, Farooq Sattar, underlined the human cost of traffic accidents, calling for immediate financial relief for the families of the victims.
“It is not a political question but a humanitarian crisis,” he said. “We have to send a strong message to the bereaved families that we hold on to them. Governments must assume responsibility and if preventive measures had been taken earlier, such tragedies could have been avoided, “he added.
Sattar also called for a high -level commission of inquiry to investigate traffic accidents and improve the application. He reassured that the MQM-P is opposed to violence and vandalism, urging the authorities to maintain their brief to prevent the public’s indignation from intensifying in anarchy.
Representatives of Jamaat-E-Islami echoed compensation, proposing that the family of each victim receives 10 million rupees as financial relief. They stressed that the failures of the traffic regulations should be processed administratively, without political interference.
Anp Sindh president Shahi Syed stressed that traffic accidents occur nationally, not only in Karachi, and have called for a detailed report on accident trends. He stressed that governance must be guided by law and order, not political agendas.
According to a police report presented at the conference, seven percent of Karachi accidents involve waste, which has aroused calls for stricter monitoring of heavy vehicle operations.
The president of the Transporters Association refuted the allegations according to which many drivers operate vehicles under the influence of the drug, declaring that all waste is not responsible for accidents. He asked for equal treatment under the law and rejected the representation of carriers as part of a mafia.
“We pay taxes, we are not criminals. The law must be applied fairly to everyone, “he said.
The conference ended with a commitment to apply stricter road safety measures, improve drivers training and examine traffic laws to prevent new loss of linked lives.
