LG act held again as MPAs demand more time to discuss

The MQM asked PPP leaders for 15 minutes to talk about the act.


Our Correspondent February 23, 2015
MQM MPA's Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, Faisal Subzwari and Sindh Provincial Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khohro seen exchanging views during the session of Sindh Provencial Assembly on Monday. PHOTO: ONLINE

KARACHI: Third time's not the charm when it comes to Sindh and the local government system.

Differences between two of the provinces biggest parties - the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - over the local government law compelled the speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Agha Siraj Durrani to defer the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2015 for the third session in a row.

As the session started on Monday, parliamentary affairs minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro sought the speaker's permission for the legislation to implement the judgment of the Supreme Court. "We have already devolved the delimitation powers of union councils to the election commission by fulfilling the apex court directives," he said. "The court has also ordered certain amendments to this act [local government] that was passed by this House in 2013 - therefore, we want to follow the order."

MQM’s parliamentary leader, Syed Sardar Ahmed, said that somethings were not clear in the bill. He added that it would be best to defer the law. Mandhro and other PPP MPAs insisted that it was time to take up the law as it was necessary to implement the court's orders. MQM's Khwaja Izahrul Hassan said that no one could oppose the bill. "Our party has been very vocal about the local government system," he said. "Please give us just 15 minutes to talk on the issue before turning it into law."

MQM's Faisal Subzwari and Hassan requested the PPP leaders to discuss the local government law for 15 minutes. PPP MPAs agreed.  Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Murad Ali Shah, Mandhro from the PPP sat with Ahmed, Hassan and Subzwari in the assembly's lobby to discuss on the bill. The men returned 20 minutes later. "We have discussed the bill and we still need time," said Mandhro, adding that it should be deferred till Tuesday. Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that there was debate on the number of people in the union committees or UCs.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24th, 2015.

 

COMMENTS (1)

ishrat salim | 9 years ago | Reply These idiots are following SC order on implementation of LG election, not their own conscious or follow the constitution....this is called democratic people.
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