November 07, 2008	Friday	Ziqa'ad 8, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 6: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and provincial Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq are rushing to London on Friday reportedly to seek the indulgence of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief for sorting out obstacles in the smooth sailing of the government, which, if not tackled, could lead to the MQM parting ways with the Pakistan People’s Party-led Sindh government.

The Sindh governor, who represents the MQM, had already planned to visit London as he was asked by the party high command to reach the British capital for ‘consultations’ over the ongoing political developments, informed sources said.

Before the decision of sending Pir Mazhar to London, a meeting was also held on Thursday night between Dr Ibad and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the Governor’s House.

However, the meeting could not yield any results due to the ‘crisis of confidence’ which is, according to analysts, a direct outcome of not taking the MQM on board with regard to the second expansion of the federal cabinet, despite the fact that the party had extended its unconditional support to the PPP governments in the centre and Sindh, as well as during PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s successful presidential election.

Soon after the meeting, Qaim Ali Shah and a close confidant left for Islamabad to compare notes with President Zardari. During this meeting it was decided to send Pir Mazhar, who is also the PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly, to London to take MQM chief Altaf Hussain into confidence regarding the PPP’s point of view.

According to reports, the MQM had asked for six slots in the federal cabinet on the basis of its 25 MNAs and six senators. They had demanded the ministries of communication, housing, ports and shipping, health and petroleum, while they were offered only two slots at the moment, which was not acceptable to the party high command.

Local governments

At the Sindh level, the coalition partners had developed differences over the status of the local government system. Despite several meetings between parliamentary party leaders Syed Sardar Ahmad and Faisal Sabzwari of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pir Mazharul Haq and Ayaz Soomro representing the PPP, the differences could not be sorted out till Thursday. The PPP did not agree with the draft submitted by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) to reform the local government system as the reforms suggested were, according to the party, not in accordance with the spirit of the 1973 constitution, PPP sources said.

The present local government structure, according to Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, has created a ‘government within a government,’ which is the cause of disharmony in its smooth functioning.

The other provincial governments had already disapproved of the system on record and did not appear to be in favour of retaining it in its present form. They want that powers of executive magistracy, law and order, and land revenue administration to be withdrawn from the LG system.

Recounting the dissatisfaction of the provincial governments with the local government system, an observer said that in Punjab, the defunct divisions and commissionerate system was already revived through an ordinance as overhauling of the LG system required an amendment in the constitution.

In view of the discontentment and reservations expressed by all four provincial governments over the performance of the LG system, the federal government has asked the NRB to come up with recommendations after going through various suggestions and consultation with the provincial governments and stakeholders.

Under the devolution plan, the NRB had devolved powers of the provincial government to the local government institutions pertaining to magistracy, law and order, land revenue administration and development as it perceived the transfer of certain powers from the federal government to the provinces by abolishing the Concurrent List; but this could not materialise.

Writ challenged

After devolving powers to the local governments, the provincial governments’ writ in administration, execution of development schemes and law and order has almost become non-existent and there has been a feeling that by introduction of the local government system, the provincial governments’ authority had further been eroded, making the federal system more autocratic.

However, with the ushering in of the ‘democratic order’ in the country following the February 18 elections, the parties which were in the opposition since the LG system was introduced now formed the government. Instead of pursuing the agenda of provincial autonomy, they seemed to be intent on regaining their powers lost through devolution.

In Punjab, the NWFP and Balochistan, the provincial governments are in complete harmony about wanting to assert their supremacy over the local governments by limiting their scope to the performance of municipal functions, local development, primary health and education and withdrawing executive magistracy, law and order and land revenue administration.

Sindh stands out

In Sindh, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a major coalition partner in the government and enjoying control over two major urban district governments (Karachi and Hyderabad) along with other urban centres, is opposed to abolishing the LG system and wants some amendments in the present system to make its delivery system more efficient.

A provincial working group was formed by the Sindh government to sort out differences among coalition partners, particularly between the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and the MQM.

Both parties had initially exchanged their views pertaining to the perceived amendments in the LG system, which they consider necessary to make it more effective.

The sources said there is unanimity among the coalition partners in Sindh about holding LG elections on party basis, while the three other provincial governments had also recommended the same.

The major differences or reservations among the coalition partners in Sindh is reportedly over powers and functions of nazims pertaining to law and order, administration and financial discipline and the need for establishing internal supervision and an auditor’s office.