PSP to march towards CM House tomorrow against LG law: Kamal

Pak Sarzameen Party Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal said on Friday that his party was all set for a power show tomorrow against the disputed local government law recently passed by the Sindh Assembly.

“Karachi’s residents will gather at Fawara Chowk to march towards the Sindh Chief Minister House to get the legitimate rights and resources of people from Karachi and Kashmore,” he said while addressing a press conference at the party’s secretariat.

Sharing details of his meeting with a Sindh government’s delegation on January 23, Kamal said that it was not the first meeting with the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership.

“The PPP accepted 65 to 70 per cent of the PSP’s proposed points and a joint committee from both sides was also formed to negotiate the remaining 30 per cent of the proposals,” he claimed. “But we clearly told them in the meeting that he PSP does not accept the 2013 and 2021 Sindh local government acts and demanded more powers and resources in the act of 2001,” he claimed.

Kamal said that the PSP leaders in the meeting also clearly said the party would not postpone or cancel its January 30 rally. The Provincial Financial Commission (PFC) was mentioned in the act of 2013 but it was never awarded, added.

“The Sindh government has to award the PFC at a gross amount of Rs1,200 billion, which the province receives through the NFC. If the PPP's Sindh government awards the PFC to districts after covering all its expenses and on the number of local bodies, then it is nothing but an eyewash,” he said.

“The fact is that the law of 2021 is still in place. This issue will be resolved not through any mere notification, but through legislation in the provincial assembly,” he said. Kamal further said that the powers and resources from the federation were parked in the provinces and had not been devolved to the street level. “If the 18th Amendment is not benefiting the people at street level, then it should be abolished. In fact, the 18th Amendment has pumped up corruption in the provinces.”

The PSP wanted to take powers and resources out of the Chief Minister House and bring them down to the street level from Karachi to Kashmore, he said. “The PSP is a peaceful party but don't expect that we'll offer our second cheek after you slap us once. We will respond with the same tone and action,” he said.

“We will not tolerate any use of force. I do not want a fight because it is a matter of our generations from Karachi to Kashmore.” He said that he had talked about the issue with everyone, including Shahbaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pervez Elahi, and Sirajul Haq.