In view of the ‘strong reaction’ from the people of Sindh against its decisions, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday convened an emergency meeting of its provincial body – Sindh Council – for today (Thursday).
The meeting has been called to take into confidence the party’s elected representatives and office-bearers on what circumstances pushed the party into making ‘unpopular decisions’ on the issue of the local government system.
The Sindh Council meeting was reportedly convened after the PPP received a strong reaction from the people of Sindh against first allowing a dual local government system in the province and later revoking the commissionerate system and re-implementing the Sindh Local Government System, 2001 introduced by former president Pervez Musharraf.
Around 200 representatives of the PPP are scheduled to attend the meeting, including members of the national and provincial assemblies, office bearers at district and provincial levels and leaders of the party’s associated wings like women and youth wings.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, also the president of the party’s provincial chapter, will preside over the meeting.
Stormy debates at the meeting are likely as many of PPP leaders and elected representatives have expressed serious reservations on the party’s twists and U-turns on the issue of local governments.
Many of them think that the image of the party has been greatly damaged, or at least, opponents of the party have been given the opportunity to exploit the controversial decisions.
Although the party’s senior leadership admits these decisions were unpopular and the party is facing a temporary reaction from its voters, it is optimistic that the party will be able to take the people into confidence, on what they think are controversial decisions, within days.
The leadership also feels that the party’s opponents and anti-democratic forces are trying to exploit the arising situation because of the emotional reaction from ‘innocent people of Sindh’.
Talking with Pakistan Today, PPP Sindh General Secretary Taj Haider said that people of the Sindh have reacted emotionally and the party will convince them by explaining the party’s logical position about the developments on local governments.
“Yes our popularity has gone down in Sindh after current developments but the party’s organisation has not been affected. We will tackle the popularity issue within days,” said Haider.
He said the PPP has made a sincere attempt for the sake of maintaining peace in Karachi by restoring the previous local government system, despite [the party] does not accept it and still considers it unconstitutional.
“We have accommodated others and the others should also accommodate us,” he added, without mentioning the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
Haider said the validity of President Asif Ali Zardari’s decisions, whether right or wrong, could not be questioned as the PPP leaders from Sindh had authorised him for taking the decision on the issue of local governments.
Expect fireworks as PPP Sindh Council meets today
