KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party government on Saturday further receded from its originally passed Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Act 2021 when it agreed to several demands of the Pak Sarzameen Party accepting to make more amendments to the law just a week after it had made a similar deal with the Jamaat-i-Islami.

The week-long sit-in staged by the PSP led by its chairman Mustafa Kamal and president Anis Kaimkhani finally yielded results when the committee comprising members from both sides struck a deal in the early hours of the day signing a 10-point accord.

The PSP chief called the deal a major success, but warned that he was calling off the sit-in only till Feb 18 to see the implementation of the agreement practically through due amendments and required legislation.

“We have managed to get the government’s nod to more than 90 per cent of our demands,” he said while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters called Pakistan House after the agreement.

The document shared by the party, which was signed by Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Shah and PSP leader Arshad Vohra, said that the Sindh government “agrees to implement LG system in the entire province as envisaged under Article 140-A of the Constitution in its true latter and spirit and the government also agrees to devolve political administrative and financial authorities /powers to the elected representatives by amending prevailing laws”.

The agreement says the Sindh government agreed to activate the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) in its true latter and spirit with composition of its members and further to create (Divisible Pool) for the smooth running of the affairs of Local Government. Furthermore the OZT will not be treated as part of Divisible Pool.

The agreement also empowers the local government to recover taxes and revenues in their respective area.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2022