Councillors protest outside Sindh Assembly over limited powers

KARACHI: Local bodies representatives on Friday protested outside the Sindh Assembly building here against the limited powers and inappropriate share of funds for the city’s development in the provincial budget for FY 2017-18, ARY News reported.   

Entry gate to the provincial assembly was sealed to avoid any untoward incident after the protesters, led by city mayor Waseem Akhtar, tried to enter the building.

The protesters were holding placards, inscribed with statements demanding more powers and due share of urban centres in the provincial budget.

Talking to ARY News, the city mayor said that the city’s infrastructure is being damaged by design. “We want our due share in the budget which the constitution has guaranteed us . The deteriorating infrastructure is apparent to everyone”, he added.

Akhtar was of the opinion that the city had been neglected for a decade and all the powers being encroached by the ruling party in the province. “We have gathered here to bring our demands in knowledge of the provincial chief minister but we are even not being allowed to enter the assembly building”, he lamented.

The protesters claimed that the government in the budget had failed to approve the schemes proposed by the local bodies’ representatives.

Elected representatives of Local Govt protesting outside #Sindh Assembly Building for the Basic & Genuine Rights. pic.twitter.com/fLqhIY7jco

— Wasim Akhtar (@wasimakhtar1955) June 9, 2017

MQM-P walks out of Sindh Assembly  

Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers staged a walkout from the assembly in solidarity with the protesters.

Talking to media outside the provincial assembly, MQM-P legislator Khawaja Izharul Haq said that Akhtar is an elected city mayor, representing the grievances of Karachiites. He decried that the ruling party in the province neither willing to listen issues in the assembly nor on the road.