Government repeals Sindh local government act, MQM protests

The Act's demise follows MQM's exit from the ruling coalition.


Web Desk February 21, 2013
File photo of the Sindh Assembly. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE

KARACHI: Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro announced on Thursday that the government was withdrawing the Sindh Peoples Local Government Act 2012 (SPLGA) during a Sindh Assembly proceeding , Express News reported .

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members staged an in-house protest after the law minister made the announcement.

“If the SPLGA 2012 was meant to bring prosperity to the people of Sindh at that time [when the government passed it], then why is it not prosperous now?” MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari questioned while speaking to the media.

The SPLGA, which was passed by the Sindh Assembly on October 1, 2012, had been a major source of contention between the PPP-led coalition government and various nationalist groups in Sindh.

The law had envisaged six powerful metropolitan corporations in the province.
It was opposed by Sindhi leaders who called it a “dual system” which would create greater ethnic divides in Sindh. It was feared that the law would allow the mayors of the two cities to be given the same powers enjoyed by a chief minister.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and Awami National Party and the National Peoples Party (NPP) left the coalition after the ordinance was first passed.

The 1979 Local Government Ordinance law will now come into effect.

The SPLGA was passed by the Sindh Assembly last year and was vehemently opposed by nationalist parties.

The ordinance was prepared after strong negotiations between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the MQM.

Timeline

July 9 , 2011: Acting Governor Khuhro, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro restored the local government ordinance 1979 by repealing SLGO 2001 following a political row between PPP and MQM on Dr Mirza’s statements.

August 6,   2011: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan promulgated an ordinance restoring SLGO 2001 in Karachi and Hyderabad by keeping SLGO 1979 along with commissionerate system intact in other districts of Sindh.

August 8, 2011: Governor restored the SLGO 2001 in entire Sindh following criticism that it was an effort to divide Sindh.

November 4,  2011: The Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO) 2001 issued (for 90 days) by Governor Sindh on November 4 lapsed because both the coalition partners PPP and MQM failed to evolve consensus and bring the ordinance in Sindh Assembly. Automatically, the 1979 system was restored.

Sept 7, 2012:  Governor Sindh signed “Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2012”.

COMMENTS (35)

salu | 11 years ago | Reply

scenario is something like this: in pure politics, ppp is ruling all over the place, wherewith to gain back the support of the other regional parties and showing the divide between ppp and mqm has worsened. further on after election, they will again play something in their favor.

Aysha | 11 years ago | Reply

After the governor resigns, ANP should be given a chance to have their governor. They are part of Sind, and should be considered so

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