The difficult task of apologising to the people of Sindh on behalf of the government fell squarely on the information minister. He said sorry on its behalf for issuing two ordinances to revive the local government system of 2001 in Karachi and Hyderabad and rolling back the commissionerate system - all in barely a month.
At a press conference at the Sindh Secretariat on Tuesday, Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that it was a “technical mistake” due to which the local government system was revived only in two districts rather than the entire province. “We realised our mistake and restored the local government system within 24 hours across Sindh,” he said.
Nonetheless, the government still stands by its version that the commissionerate system was an “excellent system”, which can tackle all the problems people in the province face.
In a euphemism-laden announcement, Memon said that there had been a coalition government and some of their “friends”, who he did not choose to name, had concerns over the commissionerate and local government system of 1979. Therefore the provincial government rolled back both systems in order to avert further bloodshed in the city. “We have revived the local government system to maintain law and order in Karachi,” he said, adding, “We don’t want to see more bodies on the roads.” When asked who was involved in the massacre in the city, the minister parried the question, only saying that some elements wanted to create a rift among political parties which is why a law and order situation was being created.
The minister referred to the Sindhi nationalists, who had protested against the LG system. He scoffed that they had not even been able to win a union council seat but had started a campaign against the government and had spread propaganda that Pakistan Peoples Party ministers and other leaders had gone underground when they started to protest against the “division” of Sindh. “We cannot run from our land and no one would dare to divide Sindh,” Memon said. “We are ready to sacrifice our lives but will not let anyone divide Sindh.” The PPP had not compromised on Sindh’s issues whether it was Kalabagh Dam, the Thal Canal or National Finance Commission award.
He questioned why the leaders of nationalist parties had not initiated a campaign against General Pervez Musharraf who had promulgated the LG ordinance and repealed the commissioneate system in the first place.
There would be no disparity among the people of Sindh and the government will discourage any kind of system that creates confusion. “The people of Sindh have a right to protest against the government’s decision, but we want to communicate to them that we have overcome our technical mistake,” he said, adding that the PPP has never ever worked against the wishes of people. “We know what they did when the deputy speaker of their party was elected to the Sindh Assembly,” he remarked.
And then, on a more philosophic note, Memon said that in politics nothing was final - and the system changed with each passing day. When asked whether the commissionerate system would be revived, he did not respond. “We will make amendments to the system, given the people’s wishes.”
To a question, Memon said that they would start a dialogue with all coalition partners, including the Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League-F and -Q in order to make amendments to SLGO 2001 before tabling it in the house of representatives.
“We even can change the name of this system by bringing such amendments which would be applicable to all political forces in the coalition government,” he said.
Regarding the MQM’s decision to rejoin the government, he said that the, “PPP still believes in the reconciliation policy.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2011.
COMMENTS (10)
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@Hamamir: The bitter truth today is, Karachi is the home of mohajirs, and Sindhi's are a minority group, not one Sindhi party wins from Hyderabad or Karachi, we have a different identity today. Sindh must be divided along with other provinces.
Secondly, its not just about ethnicity, Sindh currently is the worst governed province, and Karachi is a good example, Sindh must be divided for better governance.
Mohajirs migrated to Punjab and KP too, its only in Sindh where mohajirs are still called mohajirs. In all other provinces, they're indistinguishable. Sindh has long kept a small heart, nobody is kicking anyone out of anywhere, Karachi and Hyderabad are mohajir majority areas, and therefore mohajirs deserve a separate province, we dont want the tag of being guests here, we came to Pakistan, Pakistan gave us land/water/food not sindh. Sindh doesnt feed us, Pakistan feeds us. We're not guests we own our homes, our businesses, and earn for ourselves, we dont live on rations.
We have a history too, 60 years of history is long enough.
@Aamir! These are indigenous people in three provinces. They have history there. Therefore, there demand can be considered. In Sindh people who migrated here still call themselves migrants "Mohajirs". Migrants have no land so no right to demand for separate province. Sindhis provided Mohajirs everything including home and now Mohajirs want to through them out from their home. What will you do, when someone occupy your home and kick you out from your own home.
@Abro.....you can blame everyone else but don't want to get your own house in order...I see students, professionals from all over the Pakistan working hard in KHI to improve their lives, but very few Sindhis from middle or lower middle class, most of the Sindhis we see in Karachi are all land lords who treat everyone like their hari...why don't these ppl make an effort to improve their lives and get educated. The easiest thing to do is to blame others.
You can hate MQM, but in last few yrs when MQM improved things in Karachi and Hyderabad, it was not only for their voters but everyone benefited. What has ppp or any other Sind Nationalist party done for Sind. Unfortunately you blame others but don't have guts to hold your own ministers accountable for their corruption. I have many Sindhi friends and they tell me a lot about ministers and their corruption in interior part of Snd, but no one want to raise their voice against them, rather want to become part of it. Every one says ppl from all over Pakistan worked hard to build Karachi ,but it is not all true, at the time of Partitions it were mostly families like Bawanis, Valikas, Adamjees, Habibs..etc who brought their wealth with them from Hindustan for Pakistan, and then lost to the Nationalization. What have the land owner done for this country or even Sind? You don't raise voice against them but complain about those who consider themselves part of Sind and have been feeding Sind and Pakistan.
@Abro:
Vote MQM. That way everything will go in your favor.
“We have revived the local government system to maintain law and order in Karachi,” “We don’t want to see more bodies on the roads.” This is extremely strange that PPP is well aware that who is responsible for bloodshed in Karachi and instead of stopping these criminal elements PPP bowed her head before them and obeyed their demands, how pathetic! Whatever justifications PPP presents for promulgating SLGO would never justify the decision. You are in power and quite possible that you won’t feel the effects what mess you people are doing right now. But people of Sindh can clearly see the aftermaths of your wrong doings. PPP never raised their voice that why Sindhi students are not allowed to seek admissions in Medical and Engineering Colleges at Karachi?? Why there are limited job opportunities for Sindhies? PPP has never sincerely fought for Sindh and Sindhies. Fortunately today’s’ electronic media has bestowed ample understanding to common Sindhies to contrast the good and the bad. I hope you will see their reaction in the next elections.
Think before you speak or make decisions rather
Why not have both the systems to please all the parties if the Government's intent is to please everyone??? To stop bloodshed and please MQM have the LG system. To please the Sindhi Nationalist parties, and Pakhtoon party ANP, and core constituency of PPP, install the comminssionerate system at the same time. Commissioners would be administrators in the same manner as City Managers are in the US cities. City managers work under the mayors in U.S. So commissioners would be accountable to Locally elected legislators and the Nazims. Or the ANP and nationalist parties just do not want to give any self-rule to the populations in Karachi and Hyderabad. If that's the case, say so, and get it over with.
“We are ready to sacrifice our lives but will not let anyone divide Sindh.”
lets rephrase that a bit:
“We are ready to sacrifice our lives but will not let anyone divide Punjab/KP/Balochistan.”
I wonder what sort of hell would've broken loose if the rephrased line was uttered by someone, what sort of double standards, PPP and their strongholds are okay with the division of KP to form Hazara, Punjab to form Seraiki and Bhawalpur, Balochistan to separate pushtoon majority areas, but when it comes to Sindh, they forget about all the talk of good governance, about the ethnic right(mohajirs in this case deserve a separate province). All of a sudden sindh becomes in-divisable.
PPP seems as clueless as before. Gee why did the British not impose a commissioner ate system on there own place of residence. In 1688 they had a mayor for Madras. Has anyone read this in their history book? SO ANP and nationalists want government to be worse than what Indian had in 1688???
The SLGO 2001 may need amendment;but, not based on what clueless political leaders who cannot tell difference between a Commissionerate system and a modern decentralized system! First they should do their homework ad be able to answer some questions about pros and cons of these systems.