Punjab, Sindh clash over local governance

PPP's Sharjeel criticises, PML-N's Azma defends record

KARACHI/LAHORE:

Information ministers from Punjab and Sindh clashed on Wednesday, exchanging barbs over the state of local governments and governance styles in their respective provinces, both ruled by coalition partners — the PML-N in Punjab and the PPP in Sindh.

The war of words comes amid increasing pressure for local government (LG) elections in Punjab, which have been overdue for months. CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja last week warned that an impending order on the matter could embarrass the provincial government.

Sindh Senior Minister and Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon questioned the PML-N's reluctance to hold LG elections despite claiming to represent Punjab's mandate. "If the Punjab government fails to recognise local institutions, it is undermining the Constitution," Memon said, adding that managing the province through the commissioner system was regrettable and undemocratic.

Memon accused Punjab's government of denying people grassroots representation and vowed that the PPP would continue to push for LG elections in Punjab. "We will not abandon the people of Punjab," he said, denouncing the PML-N's "arrogant attitude" and "politics of rights violations".

He stated that the perception of Punjab as "the fiefdom of a single party" must be dispelled. He also lamented the Punjab government's "politics of hatred and division."

Memon's statement drew a sharp rebuke from his Punjab counterpart, Azma Bukhari. The Punjab information minister stated that the PML-N had previously established a strong LG system in the province and would do so again.

Bukhari mocked the PPP, saying the party—which secures 400 votes in a provincial assembly constituency and 50 votes in a union council seat contest —would soon be put to the test.

"The arrogant rulers in Sindh should have mercy on the province's suffering people. They have been in power for three consecutive terms, yet their performance remains zero," the information minister said.

Meanwhile, PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Syed Ali Haider Gilani, entered the fray, reminding the PML-N-led provincial government that the PPP is a coalition partner and that without its support, the government could not pass the upcoming budget.

"The foundation of this [provincial] government rests on the PPP's support," Gilani said. He praised the PPP's "unparalleled services" in Sindh over the years in infrastructure, health, education, and social protection.