New LG law to spell downfall of PPP: Altaf
Tahir Hasan Khan and Azeem Samar Tuesday, August 20, 2013
New LG law to spell downfall of PPP: AltafKarachi
Rejecting the new local government law in Sindh in strong words, Altaf Hussain has predicted the downfall of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) after adopting the “divide and rule” law.
Hussain was addressing the pre-election rallies held simultaneously in Karachi and Mirpurkhas on Monday after the Sindh Assembly session where the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 was adopted.
“The days of the provincial government are numbered after the adoption of this unlawful and illegal bill,” the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief said. “The PPP, by adopting the British era local government system, has initiated the process of spreading hatred between rural and urban people.”
He warned that the downfall of the PPP had started as the party had again created an atmosphere to divide the province like it did in 1973 by imposing the quota system.
In his telephonic address from London, the MQM chief claimed the PPP was hatching a conspiracy through this legislation but the Sindhis and Baloch would foil the attempts to divide the province.
“Though the PPP, through its coercive measures, wants to divide Sindh, it would, God willing, lead to the process of the PPP’s division,” he prayed.
Criticising the PPP, Hussain said the MQM had stood with the ruling party in its difficult time but still it ignored the Muttahida and bulldozed it by majority.
He appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the federal government to provide justice to the MQM as the party was the representative of urban people who comprised the half of the Sindh population.
He also assured the federal government that his party would support it in every difficult period as the MQM wanted to serve the people with honesty and dedication.
He accused the PPP government of also curtailing the powers of the Sindh governor for appointing vice-chancellors in the universities of Sindh though legislation.
Lashing out at the PPP government for creating a wedge between Sindhis and non-Sindhis, Hussain urged the people of Sindh to prepare themselves physically and mentally for a peaceful movement which the MQM would soon launch against the local government act.
He said the MQM since its inception had been struggling to wipe out the differences between rural and urban population besides promoting religious tolerance.
Hussain also said that conspiracies were being hatched against him at the international level to arrest him in fake cases. He exhorted the workers not to be discouraged in the wake of national and international conspiracies hatched against him.
“I may be beheaded but I won’t bow my head before the `Yazeedi’ forces,” Hussain declared.The MQM, he said, had established a system of accountability within the party and nominated ex-senator Ahmed Ali as the head of the committee, which would keep an eye on elected members and their conduct. He appealed to the party workers to cooperate with this committee.
The MQM chief also introduced the Haq Parast candidates taking part in the August 22 by-elections with Mohammad Ali Rashid in the run for NA-254, Mohammad Hussain for PS-95, Abdul Rauf Siddiqui on PS-103 and Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali for PS-64.He appealed to the people to vote for MQM candidates in the by-elections.
MQM to go to court
The MQM will go to courts and adopt other legal recourses to challenge the new local government bill, Faisal Subzwari has said.
The opposition leader in Sindh Assembly, speaking to the media after the conclusion of the legislative session on Monday, claimed the law did not give the due financial and administrative powers to the municipal bodies.
Subzwari said the MQM would approach the people for building opinion against the new law and would also seek their point of view to take decisions whether or not to participate in the upcoming local government elections.
“The bill is a plagiarised version of the local body system of 1979, which did not give due powers and authorities to elected public representatives chosen for heading and running affairs of municipal agencies,” the MQM leader said.
He added the local government ordinance of 2001 had given sufficient powers to the elected representatives at the municipal level.
“The MQM envisages authority on equal basis in every district without any discrimination and prejudice against any rural or urban area with all the required financial, administrative and political powers,” Subzwari declared.
He lamented that those political quarters who secured the concept of provincial autonomy were not ready to give the due authority to the elected representatives at local government level.
While the critics of Sindh People’s Local Government Act of 2012 had claimed the legislation envisaged a dual municipal system, this new system would establish three levels of municipal governance in Karachi through metropolitan corporations, district municipal corporations and rural district councils, the MQM leader said.
“Unlike the nationalist parties last time, the MQM will not resort to protest rallies and street agitation against the passage of the new bill,” Subzwari added.