MQM-P to resist govt’s bid to oust Karachi mayor

Party says amendment to local government law
proposed at a recent cabinet meeting is unacceptable

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan said on Saturday that it would protest at every forum against the proposed amendment to the local government law through which the provincial government would be able to remove elected mayors, chairpersons and vice chairpersons.

At the last cabinet meeting, an amendment in the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 in its Section 25 was proposed through which a mechanism for the removal of mayors, chairpersons and vice chairpersons had been worked out.

The cabinet did not approve the proposed amendment that sought the removal of local government representatives through a vote of no confidence. However, it formed a committee comprising senior minister Nisar Khuhro, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Murtaza Wahab, Burhan Chandio, and Qasim Shah and others to examine the amendment and present its recommendations.  

MQM-P information in-charge said Amin-ul-Haque told The News that the party would raise its voice at every platform and resist the move as it was unconstitutional and undemocratic.

“In the first phase we will raise our voice in the national and provincial assemblies and the Senate,” he said.

“The government, instead of giving due powers to local government representatives, is trying to create more hurdles for them which will not be allowed.”  Haque said the MQM-P would take to the streets and mobilise the masses against this unjust step.  He added that the party would also file petitions in the high court and the apex court if its voice is not heard at the local level.  The MQM-P leader appealed to the government to stop snatching the powers and rights of local government representatives.

“Instead, the government should give them their due powers for the sake of Karachi and avoid interfering in the city's local matters," he added.

In 1987, the Sindh government using its discretionary powers had presented a vote of no confidence against the then mayor Abdus Sattar Afghani and ousted him from the seat.

It was during former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s time that these discretionary powers were revoked an amendment in the local government system was introduced against using a vote of no confidence against any representative.