Local bodies elections after act of 1979 amended: CM

Qaim Ali Shah plays down protests over Hyderabad division.

HYDERABAD:

The government will hold local government elections as soon as the Sindh Assembly passes the amended local bodies act of 1979, said the chief minister at a press conference here on Wednesday night.

But nothing will happen until there is agreement among political parties and work has to be done through the Sindh Assembly.

He emphasised that the new police and commissioner systems have been enforced through the will of the assembly and with the support of the people of Sindh. He criticised the old revenue department’s performance. “There were no checks on how lands were being sold or leased and there was no maintenance of records either,” he said. The chief minister evaded questions regarding the official notification of the new revenue system.

The commissionerate system will not be changed because it has been made into a law by the Sindh Assembly. However, the chief minister fended off questions regarding when a notification of new revenue limits of the revived divisions in Sindh will be issued.

He played down protests by the people of Tando Allahyar and Tando Muhammad Khan districts, who are against a merger with the Hyderabad division. “The demand for the revival of the Hyderabad division was more compelling than these protests,” said Shah. Eight districts, including Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Matiari, Badin, Thatta, Jamshoro and Dadu have been made part of Hyderabad division, which is the largest in terms of area and number of districts.

“Members of parliament and political leaders were demanding the commissionerate system and the restoration of the old status of Karachi and Hyderabad for a long time,” he said. “They were committed to the change.”

The fiscal year 2011-12 was declared the ‘year of development’. Education, water projects and agriculture have been put on the priority list, said Shah.

The members of the provincial assemblies of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and PML-F were talking to the government before they were added to the cabinet, said the chief minister while responding to a question. However, he did not say when the Muttahida Qaumi Movement members would return to the fold. “This is up to Altaf Bhai, whenever he wants,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd,  2011.