The ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led Sindh government has decided to extend the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO)-2001 for a period of three more months from the first week of November.
Following the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) parting ways with the PPP-led federal and Sindh governments, the provincial government had hastily restored the old commissionerate system in Sindh, said the sources. However, the decision was taken back within a few days as President Asif Ali Zardari wanted to continue reconciliatory politics, the sources added.
They said the PPP senior leadership, headed by Senator Babar Awan, negotiated with the MQM leadership, headed by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan. This resulted in a separate administrative system for Karachi and Hyderabad, whereas the commissionerate system for the rest of the province, they added.
This move created a sense of deprivation among the people of the province, which also resulted in street agitation against the present government. The people of the province demanded the government to implement a uniform local government system in the province, the sources and the Sindh governor finally promulgated the SLGO-2001 last month.
Sources said after the promulgation of the ordinance, the provincial government is bound to present the ordinance in the Sindh Assembly in the shape of an act or a law to get it passed with the elected representatives’ votes. The provincial assembly members of the ruling party have conveyed to Zardari that they would vote for the act as the people of their constituencies might turn against them, the sources added.
They said the ruling party has been trying to present the amended SLGO-2001 in the assembly, but their former coalition partner has been opposing it as it fears losing its grip on Karachi and Hyderabad. Sources said the PPP-Sindh leadership recently met with the president and informed him about the political developments, following which the president instructed Agha Siraj Durrani, Nadir Magsi, Syed Khursheed Shah, Ayaz Soomro and others to ask the governor to extend the ordinance for three more months.
The extension would be given for a period of three months in case the PPP and the MQM could not concur on a new system of governance in the districts, the sources added.
