Final touches: Sindh Assembly amends LG bill

KARACHI:

The Sindh Assembly passed the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2013 on Thursday, bringing about 31 amendments to the law amidst a protest and walkout by opposition groups.

While representatives of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf staged a walkout, MQM leaders stayed put in the house despite their opposition to the amendments.

As the session began with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro moving the amendment bill, opposition members stood up to complain that they were not taken into confidence. Hence, they requested the speaker to defer the legislation for a day.

“These amendments were shared with us just a few hours before the session began. If we find positive things in the law, our party will support it,” said Leader of the Opposition Faisal Sabzwari. “But it must be deferred till tomorrow.”

Sabzwari added that Article 140-A enshrines that administrative, political and financial powers must be devolved to the local government, but this legislation is totally against it. “Local government commissions members are to be nominated with consultation of the opposition leader, but this provision has been omitted.”

PML-F parliamentary leader Imtiaz Shaikh had a similar complaint.

But the PPP’s ministers insisted to take up the bill arguing that the legislation was in favour of the people of Sindh. “We have shared the amendment with members of all opposition parties about seven hours ago, which is sufficient time. We want to pass this bill today (Thursday) under the Supreme Court’s directives,” insisted PPP’s senior minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro. Soon after this, the members of PML-N, PML-F and PTI walked out of the session, but MQM members stayed back to vote against the amendments.

Major amendments

All town committees, which existed prior to the enactment of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001, now stand revived under the bill. Meanwhile, 22 per cent of the seats will be reserved for women, five per cent for non-Muslims and five per cent for labourers or peasants.

One member of the district council will be elected directly, while the municipal committees will elect chairmen and vice-chairmen among members by “a show of hands”.

The powers of town planning have been taken back from metropolitan corporations and handed over to the Sindh Building Control Authority, under the legislation.

No council can ink an agreement under public-private partnership to start any project without the permission of the Sindh government. In addition, the provincial government can now pass an order to remove a member and refer the matter to the election commission to issue a notification in this regard.


Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2013.