PTI to hold protest against LG law today

PTI MPA says PPP's bill worse than an ordinance

KARACHI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi President and Sindh MPA Khurrum Sher Zaman said on Saturday that the party would hold a protest against the local government bill outside the assembly at 12pm on Sunday (today).

While talking to media persons, along with other PTI lawmakers outside the Sindh Assembly, he warned that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto would be responsible if the party's workers were misbehaved with.

He said that PPP's bill was worse than an ordinance. Zaman said that no one was protesting against their bill in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. 'The people of Punjab are beating drums because they have been introduced to the best law.

While criticising the Sindh government for not providing basic facilities to the people of the province, he said PTI could not support a draconian law. Opposition forces have been raising their voice against amendments to the Sindh local government law.

One of the strongest voices came from Sindh Governor Imran Ismail who termed the approval of the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021 an act carried out irresponsibly, and out of haste.

"Some Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan (MQMP) and other lawmakers called on me to mull over the outcome of such a bill, Imran Ismail said while talking to the media on an earlier occasion. "It was binding on the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to present the bill in the assembly and to get it approved diligently," he said.

The governor also tweeted on the matter, saying the bill contradicts article A-140 of the Constitution for the government neither include a debate nor did it begin to address objections raised over the bill.

Earlier this month, the provincial assembly passed the Sindh Local Government Amendment Bill 2021 in a chaotic session. Proceedings started with Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair.

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"We are passing this law (LG Amendment Bill 2021) after a long deliberation with different stakeholders and consultation of Sindh Governor Imran Ismail. I fail to understand why the opposition is creating a hue and cry in the session," Sindh Minister for Local Government Nasir Shah said while moving the bill.

He added that with the recent amendment to the local government law and solid waste management bill, the provincial government had empowered the local bodies.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, reading the Sindh governor's observations over seven clauses of the bill, asked the Sindh minister for Excise and Parliamentary Affairs Mukesh Kumar Chawala if the government wanted to reconsider its decision over the law.

The observations were about the election of mayors, deputy mayors, chairman and vice-chairmen of the councils. "How can the council elect any person as mayor, deputy mayor or chairman and vice-chairman? Those people, who are elected representatives of local councils, should be given the responsibilities," the governor observed.

Apart from this, the governor expressed his dismay over the "secret ballot" in local bodies' elections. He believed this could lead to horsetrading. In another observation, the Sindh governor expressed his reservation of moving immovable property tax collection from local bodies to the excise and taxation department.

Chawla, referring to the cabinet decision, said that the provincial government had accepted the governor's observations and wanted to move the revised bill. He then gave the floor to local government minister Nasir Shah to move the bill in light of the cabinet decision. As Shah stood up to move the bill, the joint opposition protested. "We realise that the law was passed in haste.

(WITH INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT)