PTI blames local govt law for civic issues in Sindh

Calling the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2013 the main reason for the civic issues of the people of the province, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday submitted a draft of amendments to the law to the provincial assembly.

PA opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi, flanked by other PTI leaders, told a news conference at the House that the province needs a strong LG system to resolve civic issues.

“The existing laws have made the local bodies powerless and ineffective, because of which Sindh’s cities have been suffering,” he said. The prevailing situation bears witness to the provincial government’s failure to solve the urban population’s problems, he added.

“Karachi has been neglected, so its infrastructure needs to be improved to boost the national economy,” said Naqvi. PTI lawmakers have drafted an LG bill to be submitted to the PA, he added.

Bill’s features

The PTI leader said they recommend direct elections for mayors, and increased political representation of women. “District-level councils should be formed, and urban and rural governments should be abolished. Rural areas should have Taluka councils, and cities should have local area councils.”

He said ward councils should be formed for a population of 7,000 to 10,000. “PTI wants one man and one woman to separately contest elections on ward level. This is the best way to bring women into mainstream politics.”

Naqvi said area councils’ Nazims and other representatives should also be directly elected, and the provincial government should provide funds to rural areas. In the absence of sufficient resources, two Talukas can work together on some projects, such as garbage storage, he added.

He said that all development projects should be taken up by Taluka councils from local areas. Every Taluka chairman should be elected by a two-thirds majority, he added.

The PTI leader said mayors should be authorised to decide bus routes, adding that councillors should represent local area councils. He said mayors should form a cabinet. “A two-thirds majority in the cabinet should make decisions. Government representation should be mandatory in the cabinet.”

He also said women should vote for women in rural areas. “This system should be followed for the first 10 years. Mayors should set up schools and local councils should run them. The provincial government should run major public hospitals, and the LG should run the remaining.”

Naqvi said representatives of the cantonment boards should also work with the municipality, adding that mayors’ rules should also apply in cantonment areas. He said cities’ development should be the mayors’ responsibility.

“We also want to empower the mayors. The motor vehicle and services tax should have a formula to share with the local councils. The provincial government should collect agriculture tax. Distribution should be the LG department’s responsibility.”

The PTI leader said that not a single bill by the opposition has been passed by the PA to date. “If this bill is not approved, we will go to court for legal action,” he warned.

“If the mayor or someone else is involved in corruption, they should be severely punished. I’m not in favour of plea bargains. We’ll become a party in the petition of the Supreme Court.”

He said the amendment bill will also be presented to the prime minister. After the news conference, the PTI lawmakers submitted the draft bill to the PA secretary.

Naqvi was accompanied by MPAs Khurrum Sher Zaman, Sidra Imran, Arsalan Taj, Bilal Ghaffar, Raja Azhar, Shehzad Qureshi, Dr Seema Zia, Adeel Ahmed, Dr Sanjay Gangwani and Omar Omari.