October 31, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 1, 1429

KARACHI, Oct 30: The Pakistan People’s Party is mulling over a proposal to revive the commissionerate system and intends to move a bill in this regard to the Sindh Assembly if the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other coalition partners gave their assent to the proposal.

According to sources, the bill may be tabled in the coming session of the assembly if other components of the coalition agreed to the proposal.

The proposal was summarily discussed on Thursday when provincial Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani and Minister for Law Ayaz Soomro met MQM parliamentary party leader Syed Sardar Ahmad and Minister for Youth Affairs Syed Faisal Sabzwari. The meeting was aimed at finalising the agenda and date for the next session, likely to be held in the second week of November.

The sources said that the PPP and MQM, the major coalition partners, wanted to carry out some legislation business in the coming session and the meeting was meant for exchanging proposals in this regard. Among the proposals drafted by the PPP was the one relating to the revival of the commissionerate system.

When Dawn contacted Syed Sardar Ahmad of the MQM to know about the proposal, he confirmed that such a proposal on the re-introduction of commissionerate system was put forward to his party for consideration. “We have our reservation on the subject. However, it has been agreed that the PPP will submit more details concerning the proposal and the MQM will also present its suggestion in this regard,” he explained.