Leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh on Sunday rejected the agreement between Sindh government and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and said that it failed to address all the genuine concerns and basic issues of local government system in the province.
Haleem while addressing a press conference at Sindh Assembly building along with MPA Arslan Taj Ghumman, PTI leaders Q. Muhammad Hakim, Haji Muzafar Shujrah, Ali Palh and others said that the dubious agreement on local government act was a deceptive tactic of both the parties to mislead the public.
Without addressing the real issues and constraints on autonomy of local governments they came up with old wine in new bottle, he remarked. The Sindh Local Government Act 2013 is contradictory to articles 7, 32 and 140-A of constitution and violation of true spirit of devolution of authority to grass root level and administrative, financial and political autonomy of local governments, he said adding that PTI from the first day was opposing the black law and also challenged it in apex courts.
He said that Jamaat Islami was portraying agreement with government as a major achievement but the the dubious agreement offered nothing new as the party that was protesting in front of Sindh Assembly for four weeks has been contented on provisions which were already part of the black LG law and they have completely neglected the genuine concerns.Either JI was outwitted by the PPP Sindh government or both of them were trying to entrap the masses for their political objectives, he alleged and observed that government resort to violence and torture if someone protest outside assembly building but overlooked JI’s protest even buffaloes were tied there.
As many as 21 sections and different schedules of the SLGA 2013 were in contradiction to preamble of the act as well, he noted and added that the act entrusted real authority in the CM Sindh, minister of Local government and secretary of the LG department who could control and exercise absolute authority over entire structure of local governance in Sindh.
He said that sections 74 and 76 of SLGA 2013 renders a mayor or chairman of local government powerless and make the CM all powerful while provincial government could exercise control over LG bodies under sections 87 and 88 while some other sections empower province to steer financial matters of local councils.
A local government could not enter into any agreement without prior approval of provincial government while elected local councils could be suspended and suppressed as well under the prevailing LG law, he stated adding that province could interfere in issues of taxation, recruitment and framing of rules as well as making development schemes then how those LG bodies could be called independent.
