Daily Times

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) Wednesday staged a joint protest rally against the Sindh Government’s “Local Bodies Bill” and termed it a black law which could not be accepted at all costs.

A large number of MQM, PTI, Muslim League-F and GDA workers participated in the rally organized outside the Hyderabad Press Club.

MQM Rabita Committee member Syed Sohail Mashadi said the PPP had always abused the Urdu population in every government because it wanted to make Sindh “Zardari’s Desh” but they would not be allowed to break Pakistan.

He said the objective of this LG law was to establish PPP’s monopoly in every district of the province which would be detrimental not only to the MQM, but also to the PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami and the GDA. Mashadi demanded the federal government to take notice of the anti-Pakistan measures being adopted by the Sindh government otherwise it would be difficult for them to handle the people.

He said the PPP wanted breakup of Pakistan but today’s protest was a ray of hope to stop Sindh govt’s nefarious designs. PTI leader Dr Mustansir Billah said Sindh Local Govt Bill was a black law which was aimed at scraping powers of the local bodies. Terming the PPP a security risk, the PTI leader vowed that the protest movement would continue till withdrawal of this black law. Muslim League (F) leader Rafique Magsi said the PPP government had turned the cities of Sindh into ruins and the dilapidated condition of Hyderabad city was an example of it. He said PML-F and GDA had rejected the Sindh LG law and PPP leadership would not be allowed to use the Sindh card.

MQM MPA Rashid Khilji said he PPP was an anti-state party which wanted breakup of the country and it was fanning hatred among ethnic communities for the sake of the power.

He warned that there would be protests against the unconstitutional Local Government Act, as all powers had been taken away from the local bodies under the law.

District Joint In-charge MQM Hyderabad Rashid Khan, PTI leader Yasir Qureshi, PML-F leader Khizer Hayat Mangrio and others also addressed the rally.