ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Saturday linked its support for the government’s constitutional amendment package to the inclusion of provisions that strengthen local governments across the country.

The demand was made during a meeting between Sindh Gov­ernor Kamran Tessori, an MQM-P delegation and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.

MQM-P representatives asked the government to amend Article 140-A regarding local bodies, sources said. The party also presented a draft proposal to the prime minister and demanded that it should also be made part of the government’s proposed constitutional amendments.

The sources said that a PML-N delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, would visit MQM-P headquarters in Karachi to discuss the proposed constitutional amendments.

Sindh governor, party leaders meet PM, present draft proposal

During Saturday’s meeting, the current political situation in the country was also discussed. The MQM-P delegation included Farooq Sattar and Syed Aminul Haque, according to PM Office.

The meeting was also attended by Mr Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Azam Nazeer Tarar, adviser to PM Rana Sanaullah, and Saad Rafique.

The bill proposed by MQM-P said these amendments “shall have an overriding effect and shall be applicable notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution or any law, judgement or order of the court”.

“Article 140-A failed to fulfil the command of the Constitution to establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representatives of the local governm­e­nts,” the proposal reads. “There­fo­­re, to realise the intent of the Cons­titution, it’s imperative to clearly define the role, functions, responsibility and authority of the local governments in the Constitution.”

It said that Clause 1 of Article 140-A would be modified to read: “The Federation shall, by law, establish a local government system throughout the country, whereby political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority shall be devolved to the elected representatives of the local governments.”

The proposed law aims to establish metropolitan city governments in Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and every other city with a population of over five million.

Similarly, municipal city governments would be established in cities with a population ranging from one million to five million; municipal governments for cities with a population of 500,000 to one million; town governments for areas with a population ranging between 100,000 and 500,000; district governments for all rural districts; and town committees for towns with a population of 500,000 to 100,000.

There would be union committees in urban areas, union councils in rural areas, wards in every union committee or council, and village committees (panchayats) in every village. The draft amendment proposes that every local government will have a tenure of five years from the date of its first meeting, while the mayor or the chairman will be elected directly. Elections will be held one month before the expiry of the term of a local government.

The MQM-P’s push for greater local government powers comes as part of a deal with the PML-N, signed in March.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2024