Disappointed MQM-P and PTI say SHC verdict will not lead to empowered local govts

While the Jamaat-e-Islami hailed as “historic” Friday’s verdict of the Sindh High Court ordering the provincial government to notify a date for conducting local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan said it presented its opinion in the court on the petitions filed by the JI and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, but the high court judgement seemed to be against empowered local governments.

Addressing a press conference, MQM-P deputy convener and former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar said his party had been making efforts with the PTI government to solve public problems, and former prime minister Imran Khan was also reminded many times about the problems of the city, but no results came out and the MQM-P felt compelled to leave the PTI government as a result.

“Giving priority to the problems and rights of Karachi, the MQM-P made alliances with these parties. We highlighted all the problems in front of Bilawal and Asif Zardari and they also acknowledged our concerns.

Akhtar said the MQM-P approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and high courts for winning powers for local representatives, and correction of delimitations and voter lists. The court had already issued a verdict, but the order was not implemented. “We have been struggling for the empowered local government in courts and other forums.”

The MQM-P leader said that when this “black” local government law had come to the assembly in 2013, the PTI and the JI had voted for it, but today they were opposing their past decision and wanted to contest elections for powerless municipalities to occupy Karachi. “To address and solve the problems of Karachi is not on the priority lists of the PTI and the JI.”

Akhtar said JI city chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had accepted that if the LG elections were held in such a situation, the mayor would be powerless like him [Akhtar]. However, the people of Karachi would reject the “hypocrite” political parties like the JI and the PTI, as none of the promises made by the PTI was fulfilled and the citizens of Karachi were well aware of those promises.

He said the MQM-P wanted fair delimitations of the constituencies before the elections. More than two years had passed since the term of local councils expired, and the MQM-P also wanted early elections, he said. “We have no objection if delimitations of constituencies are fixed today, and the elections should be held tomorrow.”

Akhtar said: “The MQM cannot tolerate a system in which the mayor has no powers. Our struggle is for a strong local government system. I request Asif Zardari and Bilawal through this press conference to ensure the implementation of the agreement. I ask all political parties to cooperate with us in the matter of local government issues and I also request the judiciary to implement the decision of the Supreme Court.”

Speaking on this occasion, MQM-P deputy convener Khawaja Izharul Hasan said the JI did not fight for the rights of Karachi. In today's voter lists, there are 47,000 people whose age is more than 147 years who are no longer alive but their votes will be cast, he said.

He said today’s SHC decision was against the apex court verdict regarding empowered local governments, and that verdict was yet to be implemented.

PTI foresees more excuses

PTI parliamentary party leader in Sindh Assembly Khurram Sher Zaman said that the date for the conduct of the LG elections would be announced four weeks after the Sindh High Court verdict, but owing to the fear of defeat, the Pakistan Peoples Party would make an excuse to run away from polls. Talking to reporters outside the high court, he said the ruling party in Sindh had been making excuses to further delay the elections. The government in its earlier statements said that the police force was engaged in rehabilitation activities in flooded areas, but flood victims had been left helpless and were not being given any relief, Zaman said, adding that the PPP government distrusted ration and relief items among party workers.

Two months ago, he said, the PTI filed an application in the court for the LG elections, for the ruling party in Sindh was repeatedly delaying the polls elections. He said the reason was clear: the PPP and the MQM-P knew that they were going to have a historic defeat in Karachi and Hyderabad, and the LG polls would have been the last nail in the coffin of their politics.

The PTI leader said that the PPP intended to use delaying tactics and commit contempt of court. In the upcoming polls, the PTI would win a majority of seats and mayors in Hyderabad and Karachi would be from the party, he claimed.

PTI Karachi president Bilal Ghafar said the MQM and the PPP were responsible for destroying Karachi, as everyone knew that the PPP had been ruling in the province for the last 15 years, but the cities of Sindh had no basic infrastructure and facilities.

PTI senior leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi said that he was disappointed by the SHC decision. “We were not expecting that the court would give four weeks to the government to announce the date for the conduct of the LG polls. However, it would have been a better decision if the court had ordered conducting the local elections within two weeks. We hope that the Election Commission of Pakistan will take a good decision on November 22.”

Naqvi demanded that the ballot papers should be reprinted so that transparency in the election could be maintained. He announced that the PTI would move the apex court for empowered local governments.

A ‘historic’ decision

JI Karachi chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman welcomed the SHC order for the ECP to announce a date within 15 days for holding LG elections in Karachi. He described the verdict as “historic” as he addressed a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters.

Rehman demanded of the ECP to issue the final date for the polls in accordance with the court order. He also demanded of the election commission to bind the PPP government in Sindh to take all necessary steps to conduct the elections as soon as possible.