Opposition demand: Sindh lawmakers to meet on Friday over LG issue

Speaker says govt setting new precedent by summoning session on opposition’s request.

KARACHI: The Sindh government has summoned a provincial assembly session on Friday at 3pm, following the opposition parties’ request to debate the recent amendments to the local government ordinance and the delimitation of union councils.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani told The Express Tribune that they will give the opposition members a full chance to debate the three local government ordinances promulgated by the governor. “We are setting a new precedent of summoning a session on an opposition’s requisition,” he said, proudly. “One should appreciate the incumbent government’s democratic approach.”

He did, however, add that the hue and cry being made by opposition parties is nothing but a cheap publicity stunt. “Two of the three ordinances have been issued by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan but unfortunately the members of his own party are making an issue,” said Durrani, adding that the government will bring the ordinances in the form of bills to make them laws after the debate.

More than 40 members of the Muttahida Qaumo Movement, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had submitted the requisition in the Sindh Assembly on Monday, requesting the speaker call the session to initiate a debate on the local government ordinances and the delimitation of union councils. The members of the opposition parties termed the local government ordinances a ‘black law’ and started a rigorous campaign against it. Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah assured the opposition parties that their genuine grievances will be resolved by bringing amendments to the local government law.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2013