KARACHI, Aug 19: The Sindh Assembly passed into law on Monday a new local government bill amid fierce opposition by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Senior Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro tabled the bill while all the MQM members on the opposition benches stood in protest, angrily shouted slogans of ‘shame, shame’ and called it an ‘arbitrary legislation’.

The treasury benches, in response, elatedly thumped desks and were joined by the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-F and PML-N who eagerly supported the law.

Mr Khuhro said the law would give every sphere of life in the province an opportunity to prosper.

He said the previous Sindh People’s Local Government Act had been nullified because it was against aspirations of the people of the province.

He said the government had consulted every party about the draft and incorporated into it certain proposals given by the opposition to make it more representative.

The MQM’s parliamentary leader, Syed Sardar Ahmed, said the law was a facsimile of the SLGO of 1979, which had been introduced by the military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq. He said the law might sharpen the urban-rural divide in Sindh and it seemed as if the ruling party was taking inspiration from a dictator who had tormented it and gone on to ‘martyr its leader’.

Leader of Opposition Faisal Sabzwari rejected the law, saying it was against the constitutional provision that envisaged devolution of powers to the grassroots.

He said the MQM was not content with the local government law introduced during Gen Pervez Musharraf’s rule and it wanted it to be made more progressive and inclusive.

Mr Khuhro then formally tabled the bill and it was approved by majority.

The MQM members staged a walkout when the government introduced another bill for amending the Sindh universities laws as supplementary business. Mr Sabzwari said the government wanted to do legislation by denying a chance to the opposition to fully prepare.

Talking to reporters later, Mr Sabzwari said his party would go to the masses and the courts against the new law.