KARACHI: The opposition parties in Sindh have intensified their separate campaigns against the recently-passed the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021 as the Jamaat-i-Islami on Wednesday launched a ‘signature campaign’ against the controversial bill and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf invited political parties to their upcoming conferences while the Pak Sarzamaan Party launched a citywide move to place banners and posters against the bill.

JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman launched the campaign from Idara Noor-i-Haq by signing on a banner inscribed with demands of the JI.

On the occasion while talking to the media, the JI leader said that the party was taking masses on board against the PPP policies in Sindh and the PTI’s strategies in the centre. “In connection with the Dec 13 March, camps will be set up across the city to create awareness of the bill among the masses. The banners will be placed at the camps for people to become a part of this campaign by signing it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the MQM-P has sped up its campaign for its upcoming multiparty conference (MPC) on Dec 11, extending invitations to parties across the country. On Wednesday senior leaders of the party visited the Karachi headquarters of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, met their leaders and invited them to the Dec 11 conference.

The MQM-P delegation in their separate meetings with the leaders of the two parties agreed on a joint strategy of opposition parties against the recently passed bill for larger ‘interest’ of Sindh and its people.

“Despite toeing different political ideologies and association with different platforms, every true democratic force believes that the PPP government has made an attempt to make this local government system in the province a subservient to the chief minister. We have agreed to reach every party for a joint struggle against this law,” said MQM leader Kanwar Naveed Jameel.

The PSP also launched the campaign against the bill and in first phase placed banners and posters across the city denouncing the Sindh government’s move and demanding withdrawal of the law.

A statement issued by the party said that hundreds of PSP workers were mobilised and a visible campaign had been launched in every city district.

“This is a black law and a conspiracy of the PPP government and it must be stopped from taking measures that might alienate people of urban areas of the province from the state,” said the statement.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2021