20 November 2004	Saturday	07 Shawwal 1425

KARACHI, Nov 19: A row between the city and the Sindh governments over devolution of the Malir and Lyari development authorities seems to be intensifying as City Nazim Naimatullah Khan submitted a comprehensive report with the Provincial Local Government Commission instead of appearing before it to explain his decision in this regard.

The PLGC had asked the city nazim to appear before it on Nov 18 with the relevant record to explain his Sept 21, 2004, notification about the LDA and MDA. However, Mr Khan did not turn up on the said date and instead submitted a report with the commission.

Describing the PLGC notice served to him as vague, the nazim observed that the contents of the said notice were self-contradictory and did not specify any controversy between the parties.

"It appears that same (PLGC notice) has been drafted without the application of independent mind. Neither the name of the party on whose complaint proceedings have been initiated has been mentioned nor the dispute is mentioned in impugned," he added.

Referring to Sept 21 notification, specifying certain adhoc arrangements for the project of MDA and LDA, he mentioned that the PLGC found it against the spirit of section 182 sub-section (6) read with section 52 of the SLGO-2001.

The CDGK chief noted that two impugned notifications of the Sindh government, dated Sept 29, 2004, did not even mention the name of Sindh PLGC, and his answering notice also did not mention it when the issue was examined, and such afterthought plea had been taken to justify illegal and unlawful notifications of provincial government.

Referring to sections 180 to 187 of the SLGO, which said that provisions for transitory period having expired on June 30, 2002, observed that no power, authority and jurisdiction was left with the Sindh government to exercise jurisdiction under the law for devolution of six development authorities in Sindh, whose enactments had been repealed by the Sindh Development Authorities Laws (repeal) Ordinance (XXII) of 2002.

He observed that referring the matter to the PLGC, amounted to interference with judicial process, as it was not the jurisdiction of the commission to get the orders of chief minister implemented, as it was merely a re-commendatory body.

Terming the PLGC decision politically-motivated, the city nazim alleged that a vilification campaign had been started right from the day the Muttahida Qaumi Movement joined the Sindh government.

"I have been facing interference at every step and a campaign of vilification has been started at the highest level, not only to harass me but also to defeat the entire new order of local governments in Sindh," he alleged.

He further alleged that malafide intentions of the provincial government and its main component parties were clear in the press statements in which the un-elected chairman of the PLGC did not accept the present city nazim's authority.

In this connection, he mentioned that Karachi DCO, who was head of the steering committees for devolution of the MDA and LDA, had been suddenly changed without any justification.

"The banners from city nazim have been removed by the provincial government as part of this campaign, while welcoming banners of so-called Quaid-e-Tahreek have been displayed," he alleged.

On foreign tours issue, he claimed that he never spent a single paisa from the funds of the city, provincial or federal governments, nor indulged in shopping and undesirable activities. Calling it false propaganda against him, he said that it had been started due to jealousy and as part of election campaign by the two main ruling parties in the province. -PPI