Flle photo of Farooq Sattar. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Speaking to the media in Karachi, Sattar said that the MQM was already opposed to the provincial government's new Local Government Act and had challenged it in court.
Sattar claimed that the Local Government Ordinance was a new shenanigan whose imposition would drain the city mayor, or 'nazim', of all powers. The Ordinance, Sattar claimed, would reduce elected representatives of the public to impotent dummies begging for approval from the Chief Minister for every move.
The MQM leader said the PPP was deliberately indulging in these mischievous tactics to bring its own mayor to Karachi.
In a separate press conference at 'Nine-Zero', MQM Raabita Committee members claimed that the Sindh government had used its majority in the provincial assembly to drive a wedge between Sindh's rural and urban areas.
They said the structural differences between village and city union councils were intentional attempts to under-represent the city populace and divert urban resources and funds to other areas.
Committee members further said the changes made to Karachi's districts were also attempts to project PPP's mandate much more than it actually was in the city.
They said the MQM had tried to stop PPP from this mischief and explain that their tactics would have adverse long-term effects, but the party had disregarded MQM's concerns and pressed on with their moves.
The MQM has enjoyed strong support in Sindh's two major urban centres Karachi and Hyderabad during the May elections, where it secured a majority of its 24 seats in the National Assembly.
When local government elections were last held in Karachi, the MQM backed Mustafa Kamal was voted into the mayor's seat.
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