This was the interpretation of the scenario provided by Sindh Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani on Wednesday. “It is provided in the Constitution that the elections can be postponed if something extraordinary happens,” he said while speaking to the media at Bilawal House.
The Supreme Court has recently taken notice of the delay in local government elections as they ended in 2009. Elections were supposed to be held in three months in the provinces.
There were many reasons for delays. “Floods hit Sindh and all of the government’s machinery was focusing on the rescue efforts,” Durrani said. “The law-and-order situation also deteriorated. Even the census had to be postponed.”
According to him, the coalition partners, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, restarted work on framing the proposals for the local government setup.
The minister did not hide his displeasure with the commissioners and deputy commissioners controlling municipal institutions in the meantime. “These offices were created by military dictator Ziaul Haq who used them for his own purpose.” He said that the commissioners must only deal with revenue as a part of dealing with people’s complaints.
“Obviously, there are benefits of electing representatives,” said Durrani. “The bureaucrats don’t have any interest in the people’s problems. On the other hand, the people can question elected representatives if they don’t work.”
Durrani also dwelt on the water crisis, exacerbated by power outages at pumping stations because the water board hasn’t paid its bills. Durrani said that the managing director of the Karachi Electric Supply Company failed to understand things “simply”. “It looks like I will have to go myself and explain it to him in at least two or three different ways,” he remarked.
Durrani also felt the need to comment on the call for a separate province in Sindh. In the past few weeks, graffiti and posters for a new province have surfaced on the city’s walls. The Sindh Assembly passed a resolution against it last month. No arrests have yet been made; according to Durrani, it is because no group has claimed responsibility.
“The police have not been able to catch the people who are distributing posters across the city at night,” said Durrani. “But the people behind this campaign don’t realise that this province has a long history.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2012.
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