APC rejects local government law amendments

Opposition parties say PPP’s style of governance is causing great unrest

KARACHI:

An all-parties conference, organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, completely rejected the revised amendments to the Sindh local government Act by the provincial government. This was declared in a joint statement issued after the conference. MQM Pakistan Senior Deputy Convener Amir Khan presented the joint declaration in the form of a resolution which was unanimously approved by participants.

"The style of governance in Sindh is causing a great deal of unrest among the people and has turned into feelings of alienation," the statement read. " The Local Government Amendment Bill 2021 is the reason for this increasing sense of insecurity. Therefore, in the light of the present circumstances, this esteemed gathering of today's APC has come to the conclusion the conference totally rejects the unilateral amendments in the local government act by the Sindh Government." It added that the APC agreed that the "current Sindh Local Government Act 2013, and the current amendments made to it, are in direct conflict with the Constitution of Pakistan and in flagrant violation of Article 140-A of the Constitution.

The statement continued that legislation was contempt of democracy as well as an enemy of the people and of Sindh. "Therefore, it should be immediately withdrawn." The parties believed that the local government system of 2013, due to its alleged manifestation of political malice and concentration of power, became the catalyst for the worst political, economic and administrative situation in all of Sindh district. "This APC demands a system of local government which is politically, financially and administratively completely independent, as per Article 140-A of the Constitution."

In their fifth point, the parties agreed to form an empowered committee of representatives, from all political parties, to formulate recommendations for a new local government act and send the same to the assembly. They said that it would be a system based on the spirit of the Constitution and in accordance with the democratic traditions of Pakistan, ""It will protect the fundamental rights of the people - one that reflects their hopes and aspirations."

The participants of the APC agreed that local bodies and governments should be fully empowered politically, financially and administratively. "Just as the federal government distributes resources to the provinces through the National Finance Commission, the provinces, through the Provincial Finance Commission, should use the same formula for the distribution and provision of resources to the divisions, districts, tehsils and union councils." The parties assured they would not rest until a complete and empowered local government is formed in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution of Pakistan.

More opposition

Sindh Opposition parties on Saturday slammed the PPP provincial government for allegedly going beyond the rules to approve the revised Local Government Amendment Bill 2021 and vowed to protest against such "unconstitutional" moves. This was announced by Sindh Assembly Opposition Leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, MQM-P Parliamentary Leader Muhammad Hussain, GDA MPA Arif Mustafa Jatoi and other opposition legislators.

The opposition MPAs were speaking to media persons at the Sindh Assembly Building after approval of the LG Bill which was tabled in the house following the Sindh Governor's objections. They also strongly censured the "undemocratic attitude" of the provincial government and Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani. The political leaders claimed that rules of the legislature and democratic norms were blatantly violated. Haleem Adil Sheikh, speaking on the occasion, said PPP, once again, proved that it wanted to impose an authoritarian 'Zardarana and Sardarana' system in Sindh by denying rights and authority to elected representatives at the grassroot level.

He said that Sindh Local Government Act 2013 was already in contravention to the Constitution of Pakistan. "The PPP Sindh government has further usurped limited powers and functions of the third tier of government through controversial amendments." Haleem observed that PPP placed and approved unconstitutional amendments which were, according to him, in violation of the rules and procedures of the assembly and repeated the same when the SLG Bill 2021 was presented in the assembly for reconsideration after objections by the governor.

"Rule 99 required that a draft bill had to be sent to the standing committee before tabling it in the house. However, rules were put aside. PPP wants a centralided mechanism for the local government system to ensure a one-window operation of corruption." Haleem said Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah was spreading hatred and ethnic differences to prolong the PPP government. "People are fed up of their self-centred policies and will throw Zardari and company out of power in the upcoming elections."

Muttahida Qoumi Movement Pakistan leader Muhammad Hussain contradicted statements of CM Murad Ali Shah and provincial ministers Nasir Shah and Saeed Ghani regarding consultation with opposition parties. He said that if they intended consultations, the two would have formed a parliamentary committee with representation of all parties sitting in the house. He claimed the Sindh assembly was not impartial and all opposition parties vowed to resist the "dictatorial approach in the Sindh assembly where opposition benches are denied their rights". He continued that the opposition would not let the government ransack the LG system.