Opposing LG ordinance: ANP withdraws its only minister in Sindh government
Qaim Ali Shah calls Syed for negotiations after ANP staged walk-out from National Assembly.
ISLAMABAD:
Lodging its protest against the recently signed Sindh Local Government Ordinance, the Awami National Party (ANP) called back its only minister in the Sindh government on Friday.
Minister Ameer Nawab submitted his resignation to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah who rejected it in hopes of wooing back ANP.
Talking to the media, Nawab said, “When we earlier had a discussion with the government, we had the same reservations. They told us that they will hold talks with us before the ordinance is signed, but there were no talks.”
The Sindh Local Government Ordinance was signed between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) during the wee hours of Friday.
'Karachi is operated on whims of MQM'
Calling MQM a “terrorist organisation”, ANP leader Shahi Syed said on Friday that Sindh's provincial capital, Karachi, is operated on the whims of one party – the MQM – and that his party will not let this happen.
Sindh chief minister phoned Syed and called him for negotiations, few hours after he appeared before the media, having rejected the Sindh Local Government Ordinance and staging a walk-out from the National Assembly.
The PPP and its allies finally reached a consensus on a local government system for Sindh and an ordinance bringing into place the new system was signed by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad.
Reports posited that the new system will be called the ‘Peoples Metropolitan Corporation 2012’ and will entail setting up metropolitan corporations in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana districts, and district councils in the remaining districts.
ANP leader Shahi Syed, while speaking to the media in Islamabad after the walk-out termed the ordinance as a “black law” and said that the party will continue to boycott until the ordinance is ended.
The Sindhi population should have the first right on the land.”
While saying that the issue regarding a local government system had been dragged on for years, Syed remarked that he was surprised “what happened all of a sudden that the ordinance was signed at 3am in the morning”.
“This is dictatorship practiced in the garb of democracy,” he exclaimed.
The ANP chief said that the seven towns inhabited by Balochs, Pashtoons and Punjabis are ignored by the MQM administration and are being prejudiced against.
“Seven towns, namely – Kemari Town, Baldia Town, Lyari, Site, Gadap, Bin Qasim and Landhi – are still underdeveloped, while the remaining 11 towns are being developed all these years.”
He claimed that the Rs29 billion development package provided to the Karachi administration in the budget was only spent on the remaining 11 towns.
The ANP chief said: “We want to reside in Sindh with ‘live and let live’ policy, but our party’s workers are frequently gunned down and the police remain mum on the issue.”
Syed said that MQM was trying to form a government within the Sindh government.
Lodging its protest against the recently signed Sindh Local Government Ordinance, the Awami National Party (ANP) called back its only minister in the Sindh government on Friday.
Minister Ameer Nawab submitted his resignation to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah who rejected it in hopes of wooing back ANP.
Talking to the media, Nawab said, “When we earlier had a discussion with the government, we had the same reservations. They told us that they will hold talks with us before the ordinance is signed, but there were no talks.”
The Sindh Local Government Ordinance was signed between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) during the wee hours of Friday.
'Karachi is operated on whims of MQM'
Calling MQM a “terrorist organisation”, ANP leader Shahi Syed said on Friday that Sindh's provincial capital, Karachi, is operated on the whims of one party – the MQM – and that his party will not let this happen.
Sindh chief minister phoned Syed and called him for negotiations, few hours after he appeared before the media, having rejected the Sindh Local Government Ordinance and staging a walk-out from the National Assembly.
The PPP and its allies finally reached a consensus on a local government system for Sindh and an ordinance bringing into place the new system was signed by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad.
Reports posited that the new system will be called the ‘Peoples Metropolitan Corporation 2012’ and will entail setting up metropolitan corporations in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana districts, and district councils in the remaining districts.
ANP leader Shahi Syed, while speaking to the media in Islamabad after the walk-out termed the ordinance as a “black law” and said that the party will continue to boycott until the ordinance is ended.
The Sindhi population should have the first right on the land.”
While saying that the issue regarding a local government system had been dragged on for years, Syed remarked that he was surprised “what happened all of a sudden that the ordinance was signed at 3am in the morning”.
“This is dictatorship practiced in the garb of democracy,” he exclaimed.
The ANP chief said that the seven towns inhabited by Balochs, Pashtoons and Punjabis are ignored by the MQM administration and are being prejudiced against.
“Seven towns, namely – Kemari Town, Baldia Town, Lyari, Site, Gadap, Bin Qasim and Landhi – are still underdeveloped, while the remaining 11 towns are being developed all these years.”
He claimed that the Rs29 billion development package provided to the Karachi administration in the budget was only spent on the remaining 11 towns.
The ANP chief said: “We want to reside in Sindh with ‘live and let live’ policy, but our party’s workers are frequently gunned down and the police remain mum on the issue.”
Syed said that MQM was trying to form a government within the Sindh government.