KARACHI, Sept 8: Although the Pakistan Muslim League-N does not have any representation in the Sindh Assembly, it has decided to support other parties in rejection of the structure.

On Saturday, it declared support to the strike call given by nationalist parties in protest against the ordinance. Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, its Sindh chief, announced the decision at a press conference on Saturday.

The PML-Functional, National People’s Party and the PML_Q pulled out all their representatives from the Sindh government on Saturday to express their outrage over promulgation of the law.

They contended that the new structure was aimed at pleasing just one party _ an allusion to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Advisers and special assistants of PML-F, NPP and PML-Q submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah. They are PML-F Ministers Jam Madad Ali, Dr Rafique Bhanban, advisors Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, Abdul Razzaq Nasir Nizamani, special assistant Khadim Hussain Rain, Noor Hasan Khaskheli and NPP’s Abid Hussain Jatoi and PML-Q’s minister Shahryar Mahar.

While addressing a press conference here at the chief minister’s house on Saturday Information Minister Sherjeel Memon claimed that the new model system has been evolved after prolonged joint efforts of Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement so that it could deliver to the people at the grass root level. Under the new system the budget of the district councils had been increased from million to billion of rupees.

Flanked by provincial ministers Ayaz Soomro, Mukesh Kumar Chaowla, Rafique Engineer, Muzzafar Shujra and Nadeem Bhutto, he said the basic objective of evolving the new local government system was to provide basic amenities to the people at the grass root level to honour the commitment made in the party manifesto.

He said after Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana, which would have metropolitan corporations, other cities would be developed as model cities.

The minister brushed aside the criticism of enforcing two system in the province by the ordinance saying that the questions were being raised without going through the SPLGO 2012. “We would take all parties into confidence in this regard and their all apprehensions would be addressed.

In reply to a question he said as the assembly was not in session, the ordinance had to be issued which would be laid before the assembly with in 90 days and if lawmakers suggest any amendment in the law, it would be incorporated.

“We have not done any unconstitutional thing. We have promulgated the ordinance in the best interest of people and in accordance with the constitution,” Mr Memon added.

He said the PPP could not even think about division of Sindh and was prepared to hold talks with leaders of nationalist parties.

Highlighting the different aspects of the ordinance the minister said the new LG system would open up a new era of development and prosperity in the province.

LAWMAKERS: Elected representatives from Karachi division, which met here at the CM House presided over by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has fully supported the SPLGO 2012. By a resolution, which was adopted at the meeting termed the ordinance in the larger interest of the people and hoped that the new law would be able to solve the genuine problems of common man at the grass root level.

In the resolution the meeting lauded the untiring efforts of President and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and positive thinking, his political vision, strategy for sightedness and policy of cohesion of people.

The meeting, which also discussed in detail the political situation prevailing in the province, pace of development schemes, and inter-play relations and enhancing the coordination, also expressed full confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who is also PPP Sindh chapter President.