Joint opposition to march from Karachi to Ghotki against controversial Sindh LG law

KARACHI: Three opposition entities in Sindh — Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — on Saturday jointly staged a protest against controversial Sindh local government law at  Karachi’s Fawara Chowk, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The leaders of Sindh opposition parties including MQM, PTI and GDA attended the protest demonstration against the recently enacted local government law.

MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, federal minister Ali Zaidi, Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh, Sardar Abdul Rahim and other leaders of opposition parties addressed the rally.

Addressing the rally, PTI Sindh Chapter president Ali Zaidi strongly criticised Sindh govt’s local government law and called for its immediate repeal.

Ali Zaidi announced that PTI along with other opposition parties will hold a march from Karachi to Ghotki against the Local Government Law.

پیپلزپارٹی وفاقی جماعت سےایک صوبےکےچندعلاقوں کی جماعت بن چکی۔ #سندھ_کا_جعلی_بلدیاتی_قانون سندھ کی تمام جماعتوں نےمسترد کردیاہے۔ہمیں انکےخلاف متحدرہناہےیہ انشااللہ سندھ سےبھی فارغ ہونگے۔GDA MQMPاورPTIکےکارکنان کوخراج تحسین پیش کرتاہوں جو اس کالےقانون کےخلاف نکلے۔ @KhurumSherZaman pic.twitter.com/1lfkYsb4q5

— PTI Karachi Official (@PTI_KHI) January 15, 2022

“Bilawal had announced long march towards Islamabad on February 27 but we [opposition parties] will paralyze Sindh by holding march from Karachi to Ghotki against controversial LG law,” said Zaidi.

“Asif Ali Zardari is godfather of mafia and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah is the frontman of Zardari. Opposition parties will dethrone the Sindh government if the PPP government did not withdraw black law,” he continued.

Lashing out at the ruling PPP, Ali Zaidi said it has been ruling over the province for the past 13 years and failed to basic necessities to the people of Sindh. “There is no transport system in Sindh neither ambulance service nor clean drinking water. They even cannot pick up garbage”.

‘MQM-P to stage sit-in’

Addressing the rally, MQM-P senior leader Amir Khan has given a one-week ultimatum to Sindh government to immediately withdraw local government law. He also warned that opposition parties would block all roads of the province if the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government did not withdraw the controversial Sindh Local Government [Amendment] Act 2021.

Amir Khan also announced that Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan would also staged a sit-in against LG law soon.

Meanwhile, the MQM-P and other opposition parties also staged a token sit-in at  Fawara Chowk against local government law.

Read More: SINDH LG SYSTEM BETTER THAN ALL OTHER PROVINCES: BILAWAL BHUTTO

It is pertinent to mention here that Jamaat-e-Islami has been observing a sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly for the last 15 days.

Jamaat-e-Islami has also challenged the local government law in the Sindh High Court (SHC). The petition was moved by JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman.

The high court (SHC) has ordered the People’s Party-led Sindh government to submit its reply in the next hearing of the case.

Last year in December, the Sindh Assembly had passed the amendment bill for a new local government (LG) system with a majority amid the strong protest from the opposition.