The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) seemed to have bargained away its leverage during its late-night talks with the Sindh government as it failed to mint out as many financial, administrative and political powers for the local governments as it was expected of the party.
In a surprising move, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the JI reached an agreement in the wee hours of Friday, resulting in the culmination of the month-long protest sit-in outside the provincial assembly against the controversial Sindh Local Government Act (SLGA) of 2013 and its amended version of 2021.
When The News delved into the SLGA 2013 and that of 2021, it learned that most of the contents of the agreement were already part of the SLGA 2013 or 2021.In the agreement, it has been decided that the local bodies’ health and education institutions will be returned to the local bodies and the Karachi Medical and Dental College will also be given back to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
The provincial government will give the local government its due share in the collection of the motor vehicle tax.Other than this, according to Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) programme coordinator Mushtar Ayaz, who has also expertise in local governments, there is nothing fruitful that the JI has achieved.
As per the accord, the government will release monthly and annual funds to union councils on the basis of population. The mayor will be the chairperson of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB). Earlier, the government had decided to make the mayor co-chairperson of the KWSB. The two sides have also decided that the mayor will be chairman of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB). However, according to the SSWMB Act 2021, the mayor will be the divisional head of the board.
The Sindh government has also agreed to establish a provincial finance commission. The mayor and town chairperson will be members of the commission. In the SLGA 2013, it is clearly mentioned that the mayor and district chairman will be PFC members.
Effective representation will also be given to the mayor and chairperson in the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), master plan department and other development authorities. In the boards of all the development and land authorities and the SBCA, the mayor is already a member by virtue of this position.
