Zardari impetus: Consensus on new LG system reached

Ordinance to be issued on Tuesday to bring in ad hoc system for two months till new law ratified by Sindh Assembly.

KARACHI: Hours-long deliberation between coalition partners, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) at Governor House late on Monday, seemed to pay off after a consensus was reached on the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2012, Express News reported.

Negotiations between senior leaders of PPP and MQM finally seemed to pay off after sources said that terms for a new ordinance had been finalised early on Tuesday in the light of recommendations made by PPP and MQM core committees during the meeting. An ad hoc system will be brought in to place till both parties evolve a consensus on a new local government law.

There were also reports that the MQM was insisting on restoring the 2001 local bodies system with minor changes as well.

While leaders of both the parities avoided speaking to media, sources said that once the ordinance is issued, the government would make a law within two months to hold LG election.

The recent development have been set in motion on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari who also presided over a core committee meeting of PPP and MQM at Bilawal House on Monday.

Sources said that President made the decision to hold the LG polls in the wake of MQM’s anger for being ignored on the matter even after long deliberations. The MQM and the PPP have been locked in deliberations for months over a new system for local government in Sindh but there were dim hopes of a resolution till the President intervened.

The bone of contention between both the coalition partners had hovered around some lucrative provincial departments which were placed under the domain of district government in 2001 LG system. Revenue, Education, Health are among other departments, which MQM wants to be put under the control of a city nazim or mayor.

Meanwhile, the MQM has also demanded the control of district police. But PPP has been unwilling to give up these departments to city government.  “These departments have been under sphere of the provincial government, but we will follow whatever decision is made by our leadership,” Sindh Local Minister Agha Siraj Durrani told the media.

Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari during his meeting with MQM Chief Altaf Hussain in London had reportedly said that the government was committed to hold the LG election if the MQM evolved a consensus within the main political parties on the issue.

Zardari meets PPP, MQM members

Earlier a core committee meeting of PPP and MQM was held at Bilawal House. The meeting was chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari. Those who were present during the meeting included among others Governor Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Dr. Asim Hussain, Dr. Farooq Sattar, Senator Babar Khan Ghouri, Pir Mazharul Haq, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, Rafique Engineer, Rashid Hussain Rabbani, MNA Abdul Qadir Patel, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Muhammad Kanwar Naveed and Raza Haroon.

During the meeting President asked Chief Minister Sindh to issue an ordinance on new LG system, which would be ratified by Sindh Assembly. “We want to continue this coalition in upcoming setup too,” Zardari said.

Following the directives by President the participants of both the parties proceeded to Governor House where they continued around three hours long meeting. The secretary local government and law department were also summoned at governor house to finalise the ordinance.

ANP opposes

On the other hand ANP delegation led by Shahi Syed held meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari.

Talking to media Shahi Syed said that they briefed Asif Ali Zardari about target killings of their workers in Karachi. He said that they had clearly asked President that ANP would not accept the Local government system introduced by President Musharraf.