PTI's Khurrum Sher Zaman terms Sindh LG bill 'black law'

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi President Khurrum Sher Zaman has termed Sindh’s new local government bill ‘black law’, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Khurrum Sher Zaman has strongly criticised the Sindh government for approving the new local government law in a hurried manner. He said that the local government amendment bill was presented by the provincial government without implementing the democratic norms.

The PTI leader alleged that the provincial government had prioritised its interests in the new LG law. He censured that the Sindh government had earlier split Karachi by forming districts and now new towns are being formed to further divide the metropolis.

Zaman said that the constitution of more and more towns was primarily aimed to illegally earn money. He said that the secret balloting in the Sindh Assembly was held to buy people’s consciences.

READ: PTI DEMANDS IMMEDIATE ANNOUNCEMENT OF LG POLLS IN SINDH

He expressed suspicions that the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wants to bring its nazim and mayor on the basis of horse-trading during the elections. He said that PPP’s vice president was elected in Malir cantonment despite the majority of PTI.

Khurrum Sher Zaman announced to move to the court to challenge the secret balloting in elections.

Yesterday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) had decided to strongly resist the new local government (LG) law approved by the Sindh government.

Following the approval of a new LG law in Sindh, MQM-P mulled over options to show resistance by organising protests, hunger strikes, march towards the Sindh Assembly and other political moves, sources told ARY News.

The political party had summoned its general workers’ session to review the current situation. The central leadership of MQM-P will finalise the strategy after holding consultations with the party workers.

READ: ECP SETS DEADLINE FOR DELIMITATIONS FOR LG POLLS IN SINDH

On November 26, the Sindh Assembly had unanimously passed Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Sindh Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussian Shah had presented the bill in the provincial assembly.

Opposition parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had opposed the new local government bill.

The bill was moved in the assembly after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari approved the new LG system.

Under the new bill, District Councils and Municipal Corporations (DMCs) will be abolished in Karachi and a town system would be restored in each division of the province. Karachi will be divided into more than 25 towns under the new LG system, according to a bill.

The new local government system will give more powers to elected mayor and union council chairman, according to a draft.