Kamal asks CM to implement SC verdict by transferring money to districts

Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal on Thursday urged the Sindh chief minister to clarify the formula for transferring Rs1,200 billion to all the districts of the province under the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on local government.

“In the Nasla Tower’s demolition case, the apex court implemented its order by forcing the authorities to present a progress report weekly. If the Supreme court had followed the same procedure in the Local Government Act three months ago and the Chief Justice had asked a report on the non-implementation of the court decision, legislation would have been made in the assembly,” said Kamal addressing the participants of the PSP sit-in that entered its fifth day on Thursday.

He said that the Supreme Court’s verdict for the devolution of powers to the local governments included all the points presented by his party to the Sindh government for the empowerment of the local bodies.

“It is the fruit of the people's struggle that such decisions, which had been pending for years, began to be issued in the greater interest of people,” he said. “No one can ask the provincial government where the annual funds worth billions of rupees are going. Why are people's problems not being solved?” he said, adding that no one knew when the Supreme Court decision would be implemented.

“The Sindh government will file a review appeal against the decision and until its rejection, the black law is in force,” Kamal said. He maintained that the federation gave one thousand billion rupees to the Sindh government. “In addition, the Sindh government collects Rs200 billion in taxes. The federation distributes the money to the provinces, but it is not being transferred from the provinces to the lower level,” he said.