KARACHI: Two amendments to the Sindh Local Government Act were passed
by the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday despite protests and heavy
sloganeering by opposition leaders.
An amendment to the act calls for monitoring of local government
representatives by the Sindh government, inviting the wrath of
opposition leaders Khawaja Izharul Hasan of the MQM and Sheheryar Mehr
of the PML-F who argued the move showed the government did not want to
hold local government elections.
Sindh Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro however contended that
monitoring of local government representatives was necessary to ensure
they did not engage in illegal activities.
Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro tabled
the amendments as members of the opposition chanted slogans of "shame",
protesting before the assembly speaker and tearing copies of the bill.
The opposition accused the Sindh government of using the pull of the majority in the assembly to get the bill passed.
A second amendment to the act passed into law on Wednesday was in
accordance with an earlier Supreme Court verdict ordering election of
local government representatives ─ including mayor, deputy mayor,
chairman and vice chairman ─ through secret ballot instead of a show of
hands within 60 days.
The amendment was passed with consensus in the assembly.
Local government positions are hotly contested in Pakistan's main financial hub. Since it swept the elections with 135 seats
for six Karachi districts, the MQM appears poised to clinch the office
of Karachi mayor and deputy mayor with Waseem Akhtar as the prime
mayoral candidate.
In the past, the MQM has alleged that local government does not hold meaningful powers, saying the mayor of Karachi will have no power as the PPP-led provincial government has reserved a number of powers for itself.
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