KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami and the provincial government of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday held first round of talks over the controversial Sindh Local Government Act 2021.

The two sides agreed to continue the process with a clear announcement from the right-wing party that it was not going to end its ongoing protest sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly.

JI-Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rahman announced the Karachi Huqooq March on Sunday on main Sharea Faisal that would end at the sit-in venue.

He said the Sindh government team led by Local Government Minister Nasir Shah held talks with the JI team comprising Advocate Saifuddin, Dr Osama Razi, MPA Abdul Rasheed and Muslim Pervez at the minister’s office in the Sindh Assembly.

“The Sindh government has assured us that they would look into our demands,” Hafiz Naeem told reporters after the talks. “And what are we demanding...just an empowered local government system and nothing else.”

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2022