Truck Owners Highlight Road Safety Crisis in Karachi
Representative bodies of trucks and dumper owners in Karachi made a significant statement on Sunday, asserting that road accidents occur not just due to rash driving but primarily because of dilapidated roads and widespread encroachments that choke road space.
The development came during a meeting between Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) Chairman Afaq Ahmed and a joint delegation of the Insaf Truck Dumper Association and the All Truck Dumper Owners Association at his residence.
Delegation Expresses Grief Over Accident Victims
The delegation, led by Haji Yousuf and Agha Mian Jan, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in recent road accidents. Aslam Khan, head of the Karachi Grand Alliance, was also present at the meeting, showing solidarity with the transport community.
"We are deeply grieved by the loss of human lives in accidents," said the delegation leader during the discussion. "No person kills even an ant intentionally - how can anyone deliberately harm a human being?"
The representatives acknowledged that accidents might sometimes occur due to violations of traffic rules or driver negligence, but they emphasized that "the major reason lies in the broken roads and the encroachments occupying more than half of the road space under official patronage."
Afaq Ahmed Addresses Ethnic Tensions
Afaq Ahmed assured the delegation that he considered Pashtuns as brothers and clarified that his earlier appeal for strict enforcement of traffic laws following dumper accidents had been "wrongly given an ethnic twist by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)."
He accused the PPP of portraying his statement as "a conspiracy to ignite Mohajir-Pashtun riots" and criticized the party for trying to create unrest in the city by sealing Pashtun-run hotels at a time when national unity is crucial due to border tensions.
"This move aims to distract Pashtuns from contributing to national security and supporting our armed forces, by pushing them into economic uncertainty," Ahmed stated during the meeting.
Call for Unity and Mutual Respect
Afaq Ahmed emphasized that Mohajirs and Pashtuns together could play a vital role in ensuring the country's stability and security. He used the analogy of family relationships to stress the importance of dialogue and problem-solving.
"Even real brothers have disagreements - what matters is that we sit together and find solutions," he remarked, highlighting the need for tolerance and mutual respect among all communities in the current circumstances.
The meeting concluded with a shared understanding that addressing infrastructure issues and promoting inter-community harmony are essential steps toward improving road safety and maintaining social stability in Karachi.
