Sindh Assembly passes local govt bill Amid severe criticism from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Sindh Assembly on Monday passed into law the Sindh Local Government Bill 2013. The ruling Pakistan People’s Party, as expected, was able to get the support of the opposition’s legislators belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). Despite criticism, the MQM lawmakers did not observe a walkout from the House on the occasion of adoption of the bill but their walkout came a few moments later when all of a sudden Sindh Law Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro, under supplementary order of the day, introduced the Sindh Universities Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013. Leader of the Opposition in the House Faisal Sabzwari told newsmen they did not know what sort of legislation the government was trying to introduce in the House. The session, chaired by Speaker Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, continued for more than four hours without any recess. The speaker gave around two hours to the lawmakers to debate the bill. Later, it was passed through clause-by-clause reading of the bill, which also included an amendment proposed by Shehryar Mahar of the PML-F whose two amendments to the bill on holding of local bodies’ election on a non-party basis and authorising the Election Commission of Pakistan to delimit the constituencies for local government elections were rejected. Only one of his proposed amendments regarding deletion of a section of the bill was adopted with majority vote. Sindh Senior Minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, who presented the Local Government Bill-2013, informed the House that it was probably the first time in the history of Sindh Assembly that the bill was introduced after due consideration, deliberation, and after holding dialogue with the concerned political parties whether they had representation in the House or not. Nisar Khuhro conceded that the bill contained many features of the local bodies system of 1979. He said prior to the local bodies ordinance 1979, a local bodies system had been introduced during the era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto that had also envisaged a Metropolitan Corporation in Karachi and other Karachi and other municipal institutions similar to the local government system of 1979. But Khuhro said in the present legislation the people’s representation has been increased, especially the seats reserved in local bodies for representatives of women, minorities, labourers and farmers. He said that local bodies system of 1979 had already been under practice in the province and its re-imposition did not cause any serious setback or threat to normal functioning of civic and municipal governance in towns and cities of Sindh. To another point raised by an MQM’s lawmaker, Khuhro said that PPP as a political party had participated in all local bodies’ elections in the country except the one held in 1983 when the Movement for Restoration of Democracy of which the People’s Party was a part, had decided to stay away from the local bodies’ polls. Earlier, MQM’s parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed said the proposed bill was erroneous in nature as it did not properly state the reasons and objectives for presenting the legislation for consideration of the House. He said that Article 140-A of the Constitution had provision for setting up local governments in the country while fresh legislation was only envisaged for setting up local bodies that too under the system introduced during the era of military ruler General Ziaul Haq. He said the present legislation for local bodies would give opportunity to the government to divide and rule the masses.Khawaja Izharul Hasan of MQM said that since the municipal governance of Karachi had been managed under the local bodies’ system of 1979, law and order situation and civic structure of the city had been adversely affected and there had been no respite for the concerned citizens. He said the proposed legislation for local government should be sent to a bi-partisan committee for consideration and proposing amendments to the bill.Imtiaz Sheikh of PML (F) said that keeping in view the demands of the concerned MQM lawmakers, the proposed legislation could be handed over to a special committee of the House for proper considerations and further improving the bill. Faisal Sabzwari said that MQM rejects the proposed local bodies’ legislation, as it did not envisage full-fledged empowered local government system.He said the Constitution calls for setting up of local governments with due financial, administrative and political powers as major municipal institutions should have the authority to prepare and adopt their own budgets. He said the municipal agencies, which would be established under the proposed bill, would not be able to do much to resolve civic issues, as they would be powerless. He said the metropolitan corporations should have the authority to collect motor vehicle and property tax to improve their financial standing.He said the PPP by proposing this legislation has deviated from its own agenda, manifesto and vision of its martyred leader Benazir Bhutto who had wished effective and empowered local bodies system. The session of Sindh Assembly, which was later prorogued on the orders of Sindh Governor, also adopted the Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill 2013 and the Sindh High Density Development Board (Amendment) Ordinance 2013. The Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill 2013 authorises the chief minister to appoint vice chancellors in the universities.Earlier, the House expressed its deep concern over the recent deaths caused by consuming locally brewed liquor
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:38:43 +0000
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