Provincial govt splitting Sindh along linguistic lines, claims MQM

MQM criticises move to expand population base for urban centres to 50,000, rural to 2,000 as extremely unjust.

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) Rabita Committee said in a press release on Saturday that the Sindh government was conspiring to deprive the local government bodies  of even their most basic powers.

The MQM said the decision to expand the population base for city councils to 50,000 and that of rural councils to more than 2,000 is extremely unjust, and the provincial government was taking every possible action to reduce representation from urban areas.

The press release further alleged that the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 is a clear attempt at effecting a linguistic divide in the province.

"It is the height of injustice that the provincial authorities have not even released their delimitation details to the public, so that one may record his reservations with the plan."

The party further claimed that by passing the Sindh Local Government Bill 2013, the Sindh Assembly had reduced the seats for local government

It urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take immediate notice of the delimitation bill, so the injustice is stopped before local bodies elections commenced.