SHIKARPUR, Nov 11: Speakers at a public meeting have accused the PPP leadership and party MPAs of being involved in bargaining over the interests of Sindh for their ulterior motives.

Describing the MQM leadership as enemy of the province, they said the PPP government had introduced a dual system of the local government to divide Sindh and this move would dent the ancient historical status of the province.

They were addressing a public meeting held at Dakhan town in Garhiyasin taluka on Saturday evening organised by a political alliance of the Mahars and Kamaryos in protest against the passage of the local government law by Sindh Assembly.

Sindh PML-Q president and Federal Minister Ghous Bux Khan Mahar opposed the Sindh People’s Local Government Act-2012 (SPLGA-2012) and termed it a conspiracy to damage the solidarity of Sindh.

He said that being a PML-Q leader, he believed in the federation, but being son of the soil, he would oppose all actions taken by any force against the interests of Sindh because “we have to live in Sindh and will not go to Dubai”.

He said there were some black sheep in the PPP who were involved in provoking tribal feuds to deteriorate the law and order situation in Sindh generally and in Shikarpur particularly.

Other speakers accused the PPP rulers of encouraging the movement for creating a new province of Karachi by the MQM and handing over big cities of the province to the MQM.

They said PPP leaders had given people nothing but corruption, lawlessness and price hike and now the dual LG law.

They said Sindhi-speaking people living in Karachi had already been facing many difficulties, including in taking admission to colleges and universities, setting up business and running trade.

They were being compelled to face difficulties, they alleged.

Villages and colonies of Sindhi-speaking people were being bulldozed on the pretext of removing encroachments, they said.

The participants also passed a resolution calling upon the government to withdraw the SPLGA-2012 in the larger interest of Sindh and stop registering fake cases against nationalists and other persons who had rejected the new LG system.

Those who addressed the public meeting included PML-Q leader and former Sindh minister Shaharyar Mahar, Sardar Himat Ali Khan Kamaryo, former district nazim of Shikarpur Mohammad Arif Mahar, former taluka nazim of Garhiyasin Najaf Ali Kamaryo, former adviser to CM Zulfiqar Ali Kamaryo, social worker Khalid Soomro and writers Adeeb Mumtaz Mangi and Mir Sikandar Ali Kakepoto.

The participants passed a  resolution, demanding that the government withdraw the objectionable Sindh People’s Local Government Act in the larger interest of Sindh and stop lodging false cases against the nationalists and other persons who were protesting against the new system.