While those at the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) women rally on Sunday appeared delighted to be a part of the event, the public transport vehicle owners were not. They claimed they were unwillingly taken on board by being forced to take party activists to the Bagh-e-Jinnah for free. Also facing troubles were the citizens, who rely on public transport to get around the city. As public transport vehicles were booked by MQM activists, they had to opt for private transport to reach their destinations. A crowd of such citizens was seen at many bus stops across the city, waiting for the cheaper transportation option to head their way, while others negotiated fares with the opportunistic private transporters – taxi and rickshaw drivers. “I work at a supermarket in Shah Faisal and I am waiting for the bus for the last 20 minutes, but there was no public transport,” said a commuter at the Kala Board bus stop along the Shahrah-e-Faisal. Another commuter, who wanted to head for Saddar, told Pakistan Today that he has to go to the city’s centre for shopping. “I found the time to go to Saddar today but reaching there will be a problem,” he added. A number of transporters kept their vehicles off roads to avert being booked for the “free service”, but some of them claimed they were approached at their homes and “requested” to “join the cause”. Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) Chairman Irshad Bukhari claimed that MQM activists started taking over public transport vehicles since Saturday night. He said he complained to MQM leaders about this, but they did not react. “I spoke with MQM Rabita Committee member Wasay Jalil and he assured me that he will take action against the activists involved, but nothing happened,” he lamented. “It would be wrong if I say that all vehicles were booked without fares, but most of them took the party activists to the congregation with any payment.” Bukhari went on that whenever political parties hire public transport for congregations and processions, they pay the transporters. “I am hopeful that the MQM will also pay the transporters, who were forced into the free service,” he added. She said when Imran Khan organised a public gathering at Bagh-e-Jinnah and availed the public transport service for the participants, he paid Rs 2.8 million. “I am hopeful that if we go to the MQM to claim the money with proof, they will not turn us back empty-handed. We are not landlords and many of us have acquired vehicles on lease and have to pay installments. If we are booked at gunpoint without fares, we will be unable to pay back to the banks.” Refuting Bukhari’s claims, MQM Rabita Committee member Wasay Jalil said the KTI chairman called him on Saturday night and complained about the taking over of public transport vehicles by MQM activists. “I patiently listened to him and requested him to point out the people involved in these activities, but he couldn’t,” he added. “The MQM organised a historical congregation and we paid for its arrangements. Then how is it possible that we would have left out the transporters. We had allocated a budget to provide transport facility to women and gave sufficient money to the Karachi Tanzeemi Committee to distribute it among various MQM sectors transparently,” he claimed. “I will welcome the KTI chairman if he comes to the MQM office with evidence about any wrongdoing and the party will pay the affected transporters if this has really happened.”
