Sindh Assembly amends law to pave way for unelected mayor

New mayor will have to get elected within months from respective Union Council

KARACHI:

Sindh Assembly on Thursday passed a law to elect mayor and deputy mayor, chairman and vice chairman of the metropolitan corporation, town committee, district council and municipal committee even without being a member of any council. It means, the non-elected member of the council can also become a mayor with majority votes of the house. Earlier, for the election of mayor, it was mandatory that the aspiring candidate for the mayor must be a chairman of any union committee.

According to the latest amendment to Local Government Law that was moved by parliamentary affairs minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, the newly elected mayor will have to be elected from the respective council within six month of taking oath of the office.

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that this all exercise is being done to elect PPP’s Barrister Murtaza Wahab as mayor Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). Wahab has served as KMC Administrator and currently works as the advisor to the chief minister on law.

Earlier, Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution and condemned the violence perpetrated by PTI workers at the behest of their leaders and demanded of the Sindh government to ensure complete protection of people and their properties. The government was also urged to take strict against anyone one who violates the law.

The resolution was moved by Pakistan People’s Party MPA Ganhwar Isran. As he moved the resolution, the MQM lawmakers suggested an amendment to book Imran Khan under Article 6, and file a case of high treason against him. But it was turned down by the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who advised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) come forward and move a high treason resolution under Article 6 of the Constitution against party chief Imran Khan at the Sindh Assembly as it was done by the MQM lawmakers against Altaf Hussain.

In his policy statement, the CM also assured the House that all perpetrators involved in Karachi violence will be arrested.

“We have taken footage and other evidence,” he said, adding that not a single person involved in the attacks will be spared.

However, he shied away from sharing further details of the government’s strategy and further details but said that the government has asked police and law enforcement agencies to initiate a crackdown against the party.

During the session, all PTI seats were empty as no one from the party’s camp attended the session.

The CM while pointing at the deserted PTI seats said, “For me, it’s very difficult to lodge a high treason case against a political leader, but we will support if it comes through PTI lawmakers.”

Chief minister also took note of PTI protestors’ attack on Lahore Corps Commander Lt-Gen Salman Fayyaz Ghani’s residence and other military’s installations including General Headquarters (GHQ).

“After TTP and Al Qaeda, PTI has done the same thing by attacking the public places and private properties,” he said adding that the attack on People’s Bus in Karachi and burring vehicles were the acts of terrorism.

Later, the deputy speaker Rehana Leghari adjourned the session till Friday.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2023.