The Sindh Assembly on Saturday approved Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021 amid opposition’s ruckus.
The amended bill of the new LG system was tabled in the Sindh Assembly by Provincial Minister Nasir Hussain Shah.
In his speech, Nasir said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had met Sindh Governor Imran Ismail to discuss the matter and the objections raised on the bill had been addressed.
“There has been a hue and cry [on the bill], when we have actually given more powers to local government institutions,” he remarked.
The minister assured that local government representatives would be empowered under the new bill, adding that PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had called for increasing their powers.
While the session was marred with sloganeering, the legislators from the government managed to pass the bill.
Opposition members tore the copies of the agenda, when the house gave clause-by-clause approval to the bill.
Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh termed the bill “a black law”.
Chief Minister Murad also addressed the House on the occasion, criticising the opposition for protesting against the bill.
He commented that “nothing is worse than an illiterate opposition”, explaining that the bill had been amended as per the governor’s recommendations and it would again be sent to him for his assent.
Claiming that the bill was in line with the expectations of the people of Sindh, the chief minister added that the PPP had to pass the bill in urgency as the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) had set a deadline.
According to the provisions of the bill, towns will be set up in 6 divisional headquarters of Sindh including Karachi. The chairmen of towns and municipal committees will be elected through a show of hands.
The clause to hold election of chairpersons of local body councils by secret ballot was removed from the bill.
Through the bill, local body councils have been given powers in the affairs of nine provincial departments and local government councils will also be included in the affairs of Sindh police.
According to the bill, the SSP will be bound to liaise with the concerned local body chairman and police officers will report to the local council on police matters and law and order.
The local government representatives will not have the power in prosecution, police administration and criminal cases.
The Sindh Assembly also passed the Sindh Solid Waste Management Bill, 2021, making mayors the co-chairpersons of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) along with the LG minister.
The Sindh Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and The Sindh Factories (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021 were also passed.
