The ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) decided on Thursday to take disciplinary action against around a dozen of the party’s Sindh assembly members, who had publicly lent support to former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza’s views regarding the local government system controversy.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the PPP ministers, presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister’s House.
Almost all the ministers belonging to the PPP were called at the meeting to discuss the issue. Different proposals to avoid more controversies on the local government system issue in the province were also discussed at the meeting.
According to an official handout issued from the Chief Minister’s House after the meeting, disciplinary action would be taken against anybody who works against the party’s policies, leadership and interests.
It was stated that the participants of the meeting expressed full confidence on the leadership of PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and the provincial president of the party, Qaim Ali Shah.
“The PPP has always taken decisions in the interest of the people of Sindh and it will continue its efforts for the development of the country,” it was said.
The participants of the meeting also condemned the negative propaganda against the party.
Elaborating on the decision of disciplinary action against those working against the interests and policies of the party, the chief minister’s special assistant on media, Waqar Mehdi, told Pakistan Today that initially such members will be issued show-cause notices.
Talking with Pakistan Today, he said that if their replies were not found satisfactory, further action will be initiated against them, including expelling them from the party and accepting their resignations in case they are members of assemblies.
Mehdi said the PPP already had the resignations of the party’s MPAs, as that were obtained at the time of issuing them party tickets.
Sources privy to the matter told Pakistan Today that at the meeting, the chief minister also discussed with the ministers the controversy surrounding the local government system. Different proposals were discussed in this regard to tackle the issue in and outside the Sindh Assembly.
They said that Shah was informed about the constitutional position of the ordinance promulgated by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad that will expire on November 6 and the government has to bring the ordinance in the provincial assembly for legislation before its expiry.
“However, it has become difficult for the PPP to convert it into a bill and get it passed from the legislative house due to the strong opposition put up by nationalist parties and MPAs especially from the PPP’s own side.”
“The chief minister was given a proposal that the party could save face by only tabling the local government bill in the house and not making any further legislation on it,” the sources said. “The government can request the chair to refer the bill to the relevant standing committee of the house for consideration.”
The proposal movers were of the view that in this way the party can oblige the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and also save its face in the province politically, they added.
Mehdi, however, said that no decision was taken regarding the convention of the Sindh Assembly session and about legislation on the local government system.
He said that any decision would be taken at the core committee meeting of the PPP and MQM. “The reservations expressed by another allied party, the Awami National Party (ANP), would also be addressed while taking any decision on the issue.”
To a question, the chief minister’s special assistant replied that the PPP had earlier proposed bringing a new local government system comprising both the 1979’s local bodies system and the Sindh Local Government Ordinance-2001.
When asked about his party’s reaction on the formula proposed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Mehdi said the party was taking a view of the proposal.
Meanwhile, soon after attending the meeting, four PPP ministers – Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan, Revenue Minister Jam Mahtab Daher, Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Information Minister Sharjeel Memon – flew to Islamabad on the call of President Zardari. They were called by the PPP co-chairman to consult on the prevailing situation of Sindh, including Mirza’s activities and the local bodies’ system controversy.
