KARACHI: While the Sindh government had delegated the powers of delimitation of the local government constituencies to the Election Commission of Pakistan on the apex court’s order, it silently reserved the right to hear and decide objections against ECP delimitation through a recent amendment to the LG law.

Referring to the recently passed Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2015, Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Shaharyar Khan Mahar told a press conference on Monday that at least two amendments in the law amounted to contempt of court and were aimed at delaying the LG election to be held on Sept 20 — the deadline set by the Supreme Court — in the province.

The amended LG law was passed with a voice vote on Feb 23 and Mr Mahar’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, did not vote for it.

He said that the Sindh government, in pursuance of the order of the apex court, transferred the powers of delimitation of LG constituencies to the ECP, but kept the powers of hearing of objections since it did not want to share power with the local government institutions.

He explained that the government had amended Section 10 and Section 14 of the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 regarding delimitation of union council, union committee and ward and inviting objections from residents, respectively.

He said that according to the amendment, the government shall, by notification in the official gazette, determine the number of union councils, union committees and wards in municipal committees and town committees in accordance with the first schedule and after demarcation of the councils under Section 8 and determination of the number of union councils, committees and wards under sub-section (1) the ECP shall delimit the union councils, union committees and wards.

But the amendment to Section 14 of the Sindh LG Act 2013 said that the government may, after inviting and hearing objections from the residents of any town committee, municipal committee, municipal corporation or metropolitan corporation declare by a notification the status of such council accordingly.

Mr Mahar said that the whole exercise of empowering the ECP to carry out delimitation of constituencies became meaningless and irrelevant when the Sindh government kept the right to decide objections to the delimitation of constituencies.

He said that the election commission, and not the Sindh government, should hear the objections and take decisions.

He said that it was yet another ploy of the Sindh government to delay the upcoming LG polls.

He said that the government would delay the elections on the pretext of waiting for the court decision on a contempt of court plea, if filed by someone against the two amendments to the LG law.

He said that the opposition would challenge the two amendments which amounted to contempt of court.

About the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Mr Mahar said that the MQM was playing the role of a “semi government” and not of an opposition party in the Sindh Assembly.

About the Rangers raid on the MQM’s headquarters Nine Zero, the opposition leader said that the authorities concerned must address the objections of the MQM.

He was of the view that the Rangers should not divulge the detailed outcome of their operations since the matter was in court and it would be sub judice to make any comment.

He hoped that the situation would become clear within the next 10 to 12 days.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2015

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