JI refuses to end sit-in on verbal assurances

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leadership on Sunday announced that not only the sit-in will continue outside the Sindh Assembly building but rallies will also be taken out across the city in order to expand the scope of its protest against the black local bodies' law aimed at squeezing powers of the local bodies' setup.

On the 10th day of the sit-in against the Local Government Act, a delegation comprising Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders including Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab and Waqar Mehdi arrived outside the Sindh Assembly for talks with the protesters.

JI team included Karachi Amir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, public aid committee president Saifuddin Advocate, member Sindh assembly and amir of south district Syed Abdul Rasheed, deputy amir of Karachi Dr. Osama Razi and others.

After talks and consultation, Provincial Minister for Local Government Nasir Hussain Shah said that the PPP leaders came for talks on the special instructions of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

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"We may have arrived a long time ago but couldn't because of the busy schedule. We have also visited Idara Noor-e-Haq before. After today's talks, it has been decided to form a joint committee on amendments and changes in the local body law which will hold mutual consultations on a daily basis.

We assure you that suggestions from JI will be included after consultation and we are ready for further amendments in the law. We have requested Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and the participants of the sit-in to put off the sit-in for a few days. I assure you that we will soon reach a logical conclusion," Shah said. "We further improved the Local Government Act of 2013 which you (JI) do not agree with. The amendments we have made to the law are not divine scriptures and could be further amended," he added.

Meanwhile, Hafiz NaeemurRehman said, "We welcome the whole team of PPP and Sindh government." After the speech of the local bodies minister on this occasion, Rehman asked the participants whether the sit-in should be ended after the assurance by the PPP. The participants refused to end the sit-in until all their demands were met.

"We also talked about the 2013 local government law," the JI leader said. "Give full powers to the mayor. We want the same proportion of union councils to be established throughout the province. We told you to form a committee and work, our sit-in will continue. We would welcome any positive action by the Sindh government," he added. The JI Karachi amir said, "We have presented our suggestions. I hope you will show it to chairman Bilawal Bhutto.

As long as no practical steps are taken, our sit-in will continue." During the talks, a committee was formed by the provincial government and the JI to amend the local government law, which was announced from the stage of the sit-in.

On behalf of the PPP's Sindh government, Provincial Ministers Saeed Ghani and Nasir Hussain Shah, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab and Taj Haider while from the JI its deputy amir Muslim Pervez, member Sindh Assembly Syed Abdul Rasheed, public aid committee Karachi president Saifuddin advocate are included.