Protest leaves city in gridlock
An impressive showing from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, Grand Democratic Alliance and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as they hold a protest against the amended local government bill at Fawara Chowk. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
Sindh opposition parties held a massive protest in the city on Saturday against the controversial local government, leading to citizens being stuck in traffic for hours at end.
The parties, including MQM-Pakistan and PTI, announced another protest in Karachi next week against the controversial law passed by the ruling PPP.
The opposition parties staged a joint protest on Saturday at Fawara Chowk against the PPP-led Sindh government, demanding it repeal the "black law" immediately.
Sindh Assembly Opposition Leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, MPAs Khurram Sher Zaman, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi, Khawaja Izhar, MQM-Pakistan's senior deputy convener Aamir Khan and others addressed the protesters.
They claimed that the recently-passed Local Government Act has stripped the local body representatives of key administrative and financial powers.
"This 'black law' must be abolished forthwith as it will make people from Karachi to Kashmore powerless," said MPA Abbasi, while accusing the PPP-led government of attempting to usurp the rights of the locals of the province.
"All ethnicities of the province have united against this law… Asif Zardari [PPP leader] must be trembling after seeing all federal parties joining hands against them," said PTI lawmaker Khurram Sher Zaman.
PTI's Haleem Adil Sheikh said their movement was against the "corrupt rulers" of Sindh. "They have passed the controversial law through the backdoor."
MQM-Pakistan leader Amir Khan said their sit-in against the PPP-led government would begin from the city's main artery Sharah-e-Faisal near Metropole Hotel. He added they would not go back till the provincial government repealed the local government law.
He also expressed hope that other parties in the province will join their sit-in.
The law, which was passed last month, has drawn the ire of opposition parties, which accuse the PPP of managing the constituencies in a manner, whereby it can clinch a majority of seats in the local government polls in Karachi.
The opposition also demanded direct elections for mayors in the province, in line with other provinces.
'Ghotki to Karachi march'
Speaking on the occasion, PTI Sindh chapter President and Federal Minister for Shipping Ali Zaidi announced that the joint opposition will hold a public march from Ghotki to Karachi on February 27 against the local government law. He said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who claimed to be an advocate of provincial autonomy or the 18th Amendment, was stripping people of their power.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2022.