News
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
PPP, MQM fine-tuning ‘deal’ on restoring LG system in Sindh* Coalition partners try to remove differences in series of meetings
* Presidential ordinance likely to be enforced to revive local bodies
Staff Report
KARACHI: Both, the PPP and MQM, remained busy in taking final decision to resolve points of new local government system in the province until late on Monday after President Asif Zardari gave a green signal to top leadership of both parties to resolve the matter through an ordinance.
President Zardari intervened into the matter after the MQM protested strongly before him over the lethargy by the PPP’s provincial leadership. Sindh Local Governments Minister Agha Siraj Durrani recently expressed his party’s inability in accepting the MQM’s demands regarding the new LG system.
It is yet not clear that the last option, promulgation of an ordinance by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, will be about the new LG government system or restoration of Pervez Musharraf’s local bodies. If the ordinance is about restoration of those defunct bodies the former nazims will automatically resume their offices. And if the ordinance is brought for enforcement of a new LG system it will also be similar to Musharraf’s LG system but could be enforced under fresh elections.
Leaders of both the parties started talks at the Governor’s House. The meeting was convened after the MQM delegation met President Zardari at Bilawal House.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Dr Asim Hussain, Dr Farooq Sattar, Senator Babar Khan Ghauri, Pir Mazharul Haq, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Agha Siraj Durrani, Rafique Engineer, Rashid Hussain Rabbani, Abdul Qadir Patel, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Muhammad Kanwar Naveed and Raza Haroon were present at the meeting.
The president hoped that the two parties would soon be able to finalise their deliberations in order to carry forward the democratic process and to conduct the local bodies elections in the province. Zardari said the fragile law and order situation in Karachi demanded all political forces to work together. The president said that the political forces should augment efforts of the law enforcers in maintaining peace in the economic hub of the country Prior to the Governor’s House meeting, the PPP’s provincial leadership discussed the matter separately at the CM’s House.
“The meeting discussed overall progress on Sindh Local Government Act/Ordinance 2012 and took decisions for resolving the bottlenecks,” an official handout read. Besides the PPP leaders and provincial ministers, Law Secretary Ghulam Nabi was also present.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk