Police, revenue depts not devolved, clarifies minister

Khursheed Shah confident that PPP will win over allies.

SUKKUR: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed Ahmed Shah advised people to read the Sindh Peoples Local Government Ordinance 2012 before jumping to conclusions about it. He also clarified that the government had just given divisional headquarters the status of metropolitan cities, and that the commissioner system, along with the revenue and police departments, was left intact and not devolved to the metropolitan corporations.

He was speaking to media representatives after inaugurating the Nusrat Bhutto International Women University on Sunday.

The Pakistan Peoples Party leader also clarified that there was no “dual system” in the province.

While talking about the September 13 strike call given by nationalist parties, Shah advised them to enter politics by taking part in the electoral process. “They are allowed to hold a strike. But it is not the right way for politics,” said the minister.

Shah also seemed confident its coalition partners, many of whom became highly disgruntled after the promulgation of the local government ordinance, would ultimately come on board the issue.

The federal minister added that general elections will take place on time and the PPP was confident that it will perform well in all the provinces.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2012.