Daily Times

KARACHI: The provincial assembly of Sindh passed two bills amid protest by the opposition parties on Wednesday.

During 24th session of Sindh Assembly chaired by Speaker Agha Siraj Durani, the ruling party with a majority passed Local Government (Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the Sindh Local Government (Third Amendment) Bill, 2016 on Wednesday despite protest by opposition members. The opposition threw copies of the bill on the floor.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro presented Sindh Local Government (Amended) Bill, 2016, which was later approved with larger majority in the assembly.

According to opposition members, the said bill would monitor elected local government but the opposition members opposed direct monitoring of the elected representatives of local government by government of Sindh, which is unethical and they shouted slogans in the house against the bill on the occasion and protest direct against monitoring of elected representatives.

The local government minister said that the Sindh government should monitor the activities of local government development.

Earlier, lawmakers participated in pre-budget discussion on the occasion while opposition parties protested on floor of the house against the approval of the Sindh Local Government (Third Amendment) Bill, 2016, due to which the deputy speaker adjourned the session till Friday.

The opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, Khawaja Izharul Hasan on Wednesday said that the government is using delaying tactics for not to hold or delay remaining part of local government elections, as it has passed yet another amendment in the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 to hamper the local government system.

While talking to media after the session of Sindh Assembly, MQM leader Izhar said that the Sindh government wants to snatch the powers of elected councilors from lower level as with such amendments, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is simply not willing to complete the remaining phase of local government elections.

A senior leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Sindh Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Rauf Siddiqui said, “They would oust the rulers of Sindh, if government continues to sabotage the local government process”.

While talking to media outside Sindh Assembly, Siddiqui said that the provincial government is trying to snatch the powers from mayors and deputy mayors but they will not allow it to do so.

Siddiqui said that if the Sindh government continues its notorious delaying tactics to robe the powers of councilors, the people would themselves deicide the matters on roads and streets. He warned, “We will bring thousands of people around the assembly and not allow the session to be held”.