Actor Imran Abbas has come out in support of comedian Tabish Hashmi after his comments following Karachi’s Gul Plaza fire drew sharp criticism from Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.
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In an Instagram story posted on Thursday, Abbas said that if politicians treated Karachi’s problems with even “a fraction” of the seriousness they applied to Hashmi’s joke, “they wouldn’t be dodging the real issues he was pointing out”.
Hashmi had appeared as a guest on Geo News’ programme Report Card on January 20, where he criticised the provincial government and municipal authorities. In a satirical remark, he suggested Karachi be “privatised” in the same way Pakistan International Airlines had been, proposing that citizens collectively buy their city.
He added that residents could hardly manage Karachi worse than its current state, even if they tried. Referring to accountability after the tragedy, Hashmi said he had watched the chief minister’s press conference in which responsibility was acknowledged and an inquiry promised.
“Accountability doesn’t happen by just saying ‘I am accountable.’ Accountability is a process,” Hashmi said, adding that repeated incidents under the same leadership should lead to resignations.
Responding during a press conference on Tuesday, Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon dismissed the comedian’s remarks as having “no value” and urged Geo News to conduct an internal inquiry against Hashmi. He labelled the comedian “dim-witted” and “foolish”, claiming Hashmi lacked understanding of law, history and Sindh’s geography.
Addressing a journalist who raised the issue, Memon said, “These dimwits, I suggest you don’t pay so much attention to them. Their words don’t matter, they have no power.”
However, Hashmi’s criticism reflects a broader public mood. In the aftermath of the Gul Plaza blaze, which claimed at least 73 lives and caused massive financial losses, widespread anger has been directed at the provincial government over safety failures and accountability.
With yet another tragedy leaving Karachi scarred, many argue that it is time for all stakeholders — from politicians to citizens — to seriously confront the systemic issues facing the city.
