The Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Thursday reached consensus over the provisions of the Sindh local government ordinance after hectic consultations spanning over three days, and Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan was expected to sign and promulgate the People’s Metropolitan Corporation Ordinance 2012 later in the night. The local government ordinance will be enforced in five districts of Sindh – Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas, where mayors would be appointed while all other cities and towns of Sindh will be managed under the district municipal corporation headed by a chairman of district councils.
On Wednesday, the PPP leadership had failed to convince representatives from both Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F) that the system will not be same as the one introduced by former president Pervez Musharraf. A major hurdle in negotiations between the PPP and MQM were the powers to be granted to nazims.