The Awami National Party announced on Tuesday that its lawmakers will ‘strongly oppose’ any legislation for the revival of local government system in the province– if it is tabled during the forthcoming Sindh Assembly session. The ANP is an ally of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Sindh government as well as the centre.
In a statement issued from the Bacha Khan Markaz, ANP spokesman Qadir Khan said that the party’s assembly members will not support the bill that “puts political compromises above public interest”. As the PPP tries to appease its major allied party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the ruling party is facing opposition from another ally.
To accommodate the MQM, the PPP had earlier agreed to revert the commissionerate system and restore the local government system in the province. The Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO), 2001 was later reinforced through an ordinance promulgated by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad. The ANP spokesman said that the party was neither taken into confidence on the ordinance promulgated by the governor nor the matter was discussed at the core committee meetings. “The endorsement of the ordinance will be an insult to the Sindh Assembly and [if it is endorsed] it will also be a question mark on democratic institutions.”
The party lawmakers will not support any legislation in the assembly for reinforcement of SLGO, 2001 in the province along with the restoration of city district governments in Karachi and Hyderabad, he said. “The commissionerate system enforced in the province through legislation in Sindh Assembly was not allowed to continue even for a month.” Demanding that the decisions should be taken in consultations through the Core Committee forum, Khan said due to the decisions made in a hurry, peace in the province was disturbed.
