Summary Sindh Assembly Monday passed LG Bill with majority as MQM announces to challenge the bill in SC.
KARACHI (Dunya News) - The Sindh Local Government Bill was Monday approved by Sindh Assembly.
Muslim League (Functional) suggested to holding the elections on non-political basis but proposal was rejected.
The Sindh Assembly session started in the morning with Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in chair.
Senior Provincial Minister Nisar Ahmed Khoro presented the Bill in Assembly for approval.
Opposition and MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari said even the 10 percent members of the Assembly could not receive copy of the Bill and debate could not be initiated without it.
Responding to the objection, Nisar Khoro said that copy of the bill has been provided to the members and draft of it has been uploaded at Assembly’s website.
Sardar Ahmad of MQM pointed out some discrepancies in draft of the Bill.
He said that the Local Government System should be in accordance with Article 140 of the Constitution.
Sardar said that it has been named as Local Government Act but it is actually an imitation of Local Bodies System of 1979.
He said that urban and rural areas have been divided in the Bill, adding it was an example of following the colonial system.
He referred to the Bill presented in the Punjab Assembly in which there was no division on the basis of urban and rural.
Responding to the objections raised by Sardar Ahmad, Senior Provincial Minister Nisar Ahmad Khoro said in democracy decision by the majority matters. He said PPP held consulted with other political parties and tried to include their recommendations in the Bill.
He admitted that some clauses of 1979 system were included in the Bill but it was tabled in a democratic way.
Nisar said that a dictator imposed non-party local bodies system in 1979 to keep the masses distanced from the political process.
He said that another dictator also imposed the similar system in 2001 to deprive the masses to participate in the political process.
He said that the local bodies elections were being held on party-basis according to this Bill and no dictator could have done this.
Nisar said that Karachi Municipal Corporation was established in 1972 during the government of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto despite the fact that Karachi population was not as large as was now.
He said there is possibility of confusion in the bill but it can be removed through the debate in the assembly.
Talking to media Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said Local Bodies Act 2013 would provide justice to the poor at their doorsteps.
He said draft of the LB Bill would be submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan as per its direction.
Meanwhile, MQM has rejected the Local Bodies Bill 2013 and has announced to challenge the bill in the court.
Talking to media Faisal Sabswari said the bill was against the spirit of Constitution of Pakistan.
PPP brought the Local Bodies Bill suddenly and Opposition members had not enough time to study it.
Sindh Assembly also passed an amendment in the Sindh University Act on Monday.
After the amendment Chief Minister Singh will appoint the Vice Chancellors of the public sector universities, which was previously the prerogative of the Governor Sindh.
