[In]decisive action: With Ebad away, acting governor signs in old municipal set-up

Towns to cease to exist yet again under the six metropolitan corporations.

KARACHI:

For the sixth time since 2011, the government has changed its mind on how Sindh’s cities are to be goverened.

On Thursday, the ruling party MPAs voted back in the 1979 municipal set-up since the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had walked out as a coalition partner. The only thing left was the governor’s signature to make it official.

It helped that Governor Ishratul Ebad took off for London. This made Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro acting governor. And on Friday, he did the honours to sign the new bill in to law.

The ink had barely dried on the paper when the flurry of transfers and postings began in the Services and General Administration and Local Bodies departments.

Many political observers are skeptical of these political developments that began with the MQM breaking its alliance with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party on February 17. They suspect all these developments are a result of a tacit understanding between the two political parties to help each other regain credibility in urban and rural Sindh.

Either way, the bill signing took place in a ceremony at Governor House, attended by provincial ministers including local government minister Agha Siraj Durrani, information minister Sharjeel Memon and law minister Ayaz Soomro. “The towns under the six metropolitan corporations will be dissolved,” said Durrani. “The government will issue notifications very soon.”

Memon said that the law came into effect immediately. Law Secretary Ghulam Nabi Shah explained that a bill passed by the provincial assembly cannot become an act until the governor gives his consent.

Mending fences?

It is safe to venture that Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan left for the United Kingdom on Friday to meet MQM chief Altaf Hussain due to the recent turmoil after the government withdrew the Sindh Peoples Local Government Act 2012.

According to a Governor House spokesperson, however, Khan has gone to Dubai to meet his family and will return in two to three days.

Other reports suggested that the governor left on the directive of his party and would tender his resignation following the differences between the PPP and MQM on the local government issue. The MQM and the public relations office at Governor House did not confirm or deny the reports. “I can not comment further but the difference on the local government will soon take a logical turn,” said MQM leader Faisal Subzwari.

Mixed feelings

Hundreds of supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional held a rally in Mirpurkhas on Friday to celebrate government’s decision to repeal the SPLGA 2012. PML-F leaders Sarfaraz, Masroor Baig, Malik Abdur Razak and Majeed Soomro said that the end of the SPLGA is a victory for Sindh and Pir Pagaro.

Law Minister Ayaz Soomro shared the same enthusiasm and said that the SPLGA was withdrawn after considering the views of people, scholars, intellectuals and political workers of Sindh. “The PPP is a public party and the legislation made in Sindh Assembly is as per the wishes of people.”

The Co-ordination Comm-ittee of MQM, however, condemned the withdrawal of the SPLGA 2012 and adoption of the old local bodies system of 1979.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2013.