Provincial autonomy spotlighted

Provincial autonomy was the central theme in Sindhi-language newspapers last week. The newspapers also dealt with the killing of a Hindu engineer and the wave of lawlessness gripping Sindh these days.

A seminar on provincial autonomy, organised by the Sindh government, prompted the press to treat the subject in detail.

Most of the speakers at the seminar favoured the abolition of the concurrent list and opposed the creation of more provinces.

The Tameer-i-Sindh and Ibrat, commenting on a statement of the Sindh chief minister that he is promoting the mission of G. M. Syed on provincial autonomy, say the claim should be taken with a pinch of salt. The Tameer poses a rhetorical question: Will Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim now emulate G. M. Syed by fighting for the cause of Sindh?

The Tameer welc omes Dr Rahim’s assertion that ‘gone are the days when people demanding provincial autonomy were put behind bars’, but at the same time says it is early days yet to know the truth. “Only time will tell whether things have changed or not.”

The Ibrat and Tameer regret that the 'belligerent’ statements of federal ministers do not give out that the concurrent list is being abolished and that the centre is ceding control over resources to the provinces.

The Daily Hilal-i-Pakistan editorialises on a statement of the federal minister for states and frontier regions about the closure of four Afghan refugee camps. The newspaper observes that ‘concessions and loopholes’ exist in the package. 'Hence it is unlikely that they (Afghans) will go back.”

The Hilal points out that since a large number of Afghan refugees have economic interests in Pakistan, they would find the prospect of a return to their homeland unappealing.

On the other hand, the paper writes, the United Nations has also been 'creating hindrances’ by warning that Afghan refugees 'must not be sent back against their wishes’. The Hilal-i-Pakistan recalls that Iran, too, had given refuge to thousands of Afghan refugees, but sent them home after the withdrawal of the Soviet forces.

The paper calls upon the Pakistan government to take a 'bold stand regarding the repatriation of Afghan refugees.’

Almost all newspapers condemn the murder of Hindu engineer Greesh in Kotri. The papers say that although it is premature to arrive at a conclusion about the cause of Greesh’s death, all accounts suggest that the engineer was a victim of ‘parochial considerations like religious or linguistic identity’.

Daily Awami Awaz, writing on the lawlessness that has overtaken Sindh of late, says the system of district governments has not yielded ‘positive results’. The paper points out that the district governments have failed to tackle Karo-kari, tribal feuds and excesses against women.

According to the Awami Awaz, ‘political expediency’ is eating into the fabric of society. “It is time for the federal and Sindh governments to do some introspection and review the viability of the local government structure.”

Two dailies — Kawish and Tameer — condemn the recent spate of tribal feuds in Shikarpur and Ghotki districts.

The Kawish writes that ‘disappearance’ of the apparatus of the law in several districts is ominous.

The paper regrets that ministers are ‘busy addressing public meetings, planning for by-elections and offering condolences’. The daily Kawish ridicules claims of good governance at a time when police are being used only for ‘VIP security and political victimisation.’

Rural UCs at losing end

OVER 100 union council nazims in rural area towns, including Jaranwala, Tandlianwala, Samundri and Chak Jhumrah, have decided to launch a protest drive against the provincial government for ignoring them as Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has announced funds only for urban union councils.

The announcement of Rs1.2 billion funds for 161 urban UCs by the chief minister for luring nazims of urban UCs to join the ruling party is giving rise to misgivings and a sense of deprivation among rural area residents and elected members. The Rs8 million grant for each city area UC will soon be released while the survey for development schemes has already been kicked off.

Sources said the chief minister had announced the funds after he met nazims of Faisalabad. Preceding the CM’s meeting, the city district nazim and town nazims had held a series of meetings with UC nazims in which they set the condition of funds for their joining of the ruling party. They said that nazims from rural areas also met the chief minister, but they had to return empty-handed.

The district having 289 union councils, 161 urban and 128 rural, was declared a city district before the last local body elections and its two tehsils — Saddar and City — were divided into four towns — Lyallpur, Iqbal, Jinnah and Madina. While four rural tehsils, Jaranwala, Samundri, Tandlianwala and Chak Jhumra, were also given the status of towns.

Earlier, the sources said, funds for 113 city UCs were announced but owing to political pressure 48 UCs of the former Saddar tehsil were also included, raising the number to 161 UCs.

They said that nazims of rural areas had also threatened that candidates for provincial and national assemblies would not enjoy their support in the upcoming general elections if funds were not allocated for rural areas.

Opposition leader Rana Muhammad Idrees told Dawn that nobody was ready to lend nazims of rural areas their legitimate rights. He said that we were not opposed to funds announced for urban UCs, but we were against the step-motherly treatment being meted out to the remaining UCs, which were also part of the city district.

He said that affected nazims would tender a requisition for a council meeting to solely discuss the matter pertaining to the distribution of funds.

Nazims of rural areas, he said, were questioning whether the city district nazim realized that he owed some responsibility towards his people to provide them a healthy atmosphere and make their lives better.

A government officer, requesting anonymity, said the government had invited the wrath of nazims of rural areas by allocating funds for influential nazims of urban UCs in view of the forthcoming elections, which might prove to be a crippling blow to its policies.

A deep-rooted sense of deprivation and frustration has made the people of rural areas highly suspicious of policy-makers, raising serious questions on their strategies towards under-privileged segment of society, a nazim on the condition of anonymity said.

Sources said the district nazim had placed all onus on the chief minister while the latter was not prepared to listen to shrill voices of nazims of rural areas.

They said the district nazim was playing a tricky game by telling naïve members of all UCs that funds would shortly be announced for their constituencies, but on the ground situation was quite contrary.

Nazims, they said, had been tersely told that the CDGF would request the chief minister for the allocation of funds for rural union councils as well. However, naizms said that they could hardly accept as true the assurance held out by the city district nazim as he had broken his word on several occasions.

UC 77 Nazim Mushtaq Toor said that the CDGF was trying to pacify rural area nazims only by laying claim that President Pervez Musharraf would announce funds for the remaining UCs. He said a committee would be formed to meet the president during his visit to Faisalabad, if their demand was not met.

The enraged nazims also staged a brief protest demonstration during the district assembly meeting. A number of banners were also displayed on the Zila Council building.