MQM-P, PTI reject JI-Sindh govt agreement over LG law

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have rejected the agreement inked between the Sindh government and Jamaat-e-Islami over changes in the disputed local government bill, saying the Pakistan People’s Party’s leaders in the province have deceived the religious party’s leaders.

MQM-P's senior leader and MPA Khawaja Izharul Hasan said the PPP ministers had fooled JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, over the local government bill issue. 

“Karachi residents and political parties never expected the JI to be so easily deceived,” said Hasan, while addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Friday. MQM-P’s MPAs Muhammad Hussain and Javed Hanif accompanied him.

Hasan said that MQM-P strongly rejected the agreement between the JI and Sindh government. Hasan alleged that JI’s lone MPA abides by the policies of the PPP in the Sindh Assembly.

“I will ask JI Karachi chief Rehman to prepare a statement of regret, as now the PPP will not fulfill any promises,” he said. Hasan made it clear that the MQM-P will not take any decision to accept any agreement over the local government bill. “The party had convened separate conferences of political parties, industrialists, traders bodies, and other stakeholders and without their consultation, the MQM-P will never accept any decision about the local government bill,” he said.

He said that all major political parties, including Awami National Party, Grand Democratic Alliance, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, at the MQM-P’s multi-party conference had criticised the PPP leadership for passing the disputed local government bill.

“MQM-P had also invited the JI but it did not attend the multi-party conference and preferred to stay away,” he said. The MQM-P leader asked the Sindh chief minister to decide whether his policy will work or that of provincial minister Saeed Ghani. "One minister rubs salt into our wounds, while the other admits wrongdoing.

This drama should be stopped,” he said. He also announced that MQM-P will organise a women-only protest today (Saturday) at Teen Talwar against the disputed local government bill.

Meanwhile, PTI Sindh president and federal minister Ali Zaidi said that “Zardari Mafia'' has deceived the JI’s leadership and through the disputed local government legislation, wants to “take over everything.” He said that PPP’s local government bill is against the spirit of the Constitution.

“This mafia has done nothing but rob Sindh in the last 14 years,” he said. Zaidi said the Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had made promises in the Karachi Transformation Plan’s meeting but after the passage of a year, did not fulfill it.

“He [CM Shah] introduced black [local government] law instead of living up to his promises,” said Zaidi. He also announced that PTI will march from Ghotki to Karachi on February 27 in any case against the PPP’s disputed local government bill, bad governance, and lawlessness in the province.