KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said that restoration of the Local Government System in Sindh would be an important step in the direction of devolution of power to the grassroots level and it would help in furthering harmony and brotherhood among the people of province.

He congratulated President Asif Zardari, Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, ministers belonging to the PPP and the MQM, members of the Sindh Assembly, leaders, workers and the people of Sindh on the restoration of  the LG system in Sindh.

The MQM Chief  said this while talking via telephone to Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad, the Chief Minister Sindh and other leaders of the PPP and the MQM on the occasion of the promulgation of the Ordinance regarding the restoration of the LG System, said a statement issued by the MQM here on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, Hussain appealed to the allied parties to support the policy formulated by the Sindh government for the welfare of the people of Sindh and towards solution of their problems.

He said that the rights of the allied parties would also be protected and their reservations would be removed. Altaf said that he and President Asif Ali Zardari are determined to stand by each other.

He said that Karachi is not only the part of Sindh but it is also the provincial capital.

Addressing the leaders of the PPP and the MQM he said that they should work to make Sindh a place of peace and tranquility.

Hussain said that the basic problems of the people should be solved and a system should be evolved that did not discriminate between people.

Crimes should be eliminated from Sindh and the law should be applied universally and anyone breaking the law should be dealt with irrespective of his political affiliations, he added.

The MQM chief  praised leaders of the PPP and MQM including Pir Mazharul Haque, Agha Siraj Durrani, Sharjeel Memon, Syed Sardar Ahmed, Dr Farooq Sattar, Raza Haroon, Kunwar Naveed, Dr Farogh Naseem, Dr Sagheer, Waseem Aftab, and Wasay Jalil for their efforts in the preparation of the draft of the Ordinance.

Governor Sindh Dr Ebad, Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, the PPP leaders Owaish Muzaffar, Agha Siraj Durrani, Sharjeel Memon, and MQM leaders Syed Sardar Ahmed and Dr Farooq Sattar also spoke to Altaf Hussain and congratulated him on the restoration of the Local Government system.