Does Lyari still support PPP? | 'Vote na dena ka badla' | speak up Karachi

In Episode 27 of the “Karachi Aisa Nahi Tha” series, Dialogue Pakistan visited Lyari to examine the area’s living conditions and hear directly from its residents about the challenges they face.

One resident said the main road leading to the emergency entrance of Lyari General Hospital had previously remained submerged in sewage water.

He said that after repeated complaints, the water was eventually cleared, but the road was left with deep potholes measuring around one-and-a-half to two feet. Referring to the condition of the area, he questioned what the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) intended to do for the people of Lyari.

Another resident said the conditions were unacceptable for people living in the area, alleging that there was standing water outside homes, electricity and road infrastructure were lacking, and sewage had accumulated near a mosque.

He questioned why residents were being subjected to such conditions and said, “Even non-Muslim would not be treated the way our rulers are treating us.” He also recalled Lyari’s longstanding association with the PPP, saying the party had lost support in the area over the past 14 to 15 years.

Referring to the 2018 general elections, he said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had contested from Lyari but was rejected by voters. He alleged that residents were now being made to suffer as a result, saying, “We were once killed with weapons, and now we are being killed in this way.”

A third resident complained that repeated appeals to the authorities had gone unanswered. He said residents had lodged complaints several times but no one had responded, adding that a large part of Lyari was facing health problems because of the prevailing sanitation conditions.

He claimed that around 80 to 90 percent of residents were affected by viral illnesses.

Other residents also criticised the PPP’s claims regarding development in Lyari. One resident said that despite repeated claims about working for the area, little had been delivered and unemployment remained a major issue.

He alleged that politicians only remember residents when elections approach, referring to them as family during campaigns but ignoring their concerns afterwards. Another resident said the PPP had been boycotted by people in Lyari.

A further resident criticised Faryal Talpur over her remarks about Benazir Bhutto and questioned what answer those responsible for the area’s condition would give to God for the hardships faced by residents.

He alleged that many families had been devastated and several young men had lost their lives, urging political leaders to consider the consequences of the conditions faced by the people of Lyari.