Senior Minister of Sindh Sharjeel Inam Memon has criticised a private television anchorperson over controversial remarks about the privatisation of Karachi, calling for action by the concerned news channel.
Speaking to journalists, Sharjeel Memon reacted strongly to the statement made on a private news channel regarding Karachi’s status. Without naming the anchorperson, he used harsh words, describing the individual as “foolish, stupid” and lacking knowledge of law, history, and Sindh’s geography.
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Sharjeel Memon said the person who made the controversial statement had neither studied the law nor understood the history and geography of Sindh.
He added that such remarks reflect a lack of awareness about the constitutional and historical significance of Sindh in Pakistan.
The senior minister appealed to the private television channel to conduct an internal inquiry against the anchorperson responsible for the statement.
He said the channel should take disciplinary action to ensure responsible journalism and prevent the spread of misleading narratives about Karachi and Sindh.
Sharjeel Memon said Sindh was the province that played a key role in the creation of Pakistan. He reminded that the Sindh Assembly was the first legislative body to pass the resolution in favour of Pakistan, stressing that this historical fact should not be ignored in public discourse.
Sharjeel Memon further stated that many people who comment on sensitive issues related to Karachi and Sindh do not have proper knowledge of the province’s history and geography.
At the same time, Sharjeel Memon acknowledged the importance of freedom of speech and press freedom. He said journalists often speak about freedom of expression, but with freedom comes responsibility.
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Following the Gul Plaza incident, comedian and actor Tabish Hashmi said on a private news channel that Karachi’s management should be privatized and handed over to its citizens, arguing that the city could not be run worse than it already was.
While discussing the Gul Plaza fire on Geo’s talk show Report Card, an exasperated Hashmi suggested that Karachi should be governed as a unified entity by the communities living in the city rather than by the government.
“The way the government realized it couldn’t run PIA and privatized it, please privatize Karachi in the same way. We Karachiites — Pathan, Baloch, Sindhi, Muhajirs, and Punjabis living here — will buy Karachi together. If this is the standard of running Karachi, then we will do it. We might even run it better, because even if we try, we won’t be able to do a worse job than this,” he said.
