ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party has supported the restoration of the commissionerate system in Sindh and urged the government to hold local bodies’ elections in the province.

A seven-member delegation of the ANP, which is a coalition partner of the PPP, called on President Asif Ali Zardari here on Monday and, according to sources, made the demand for LB elections.

The delegation comprised ANP’s Senator Zahid Khan, MNA Jamila Gillani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Sindh party chief Shahi Syed, Lala Ajab Khan and Bashir Jan.

The meeting which lasted three hours is considered significant because it took place soon after the restoration of the commissionerate system in Sindh despite its opposition by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).The president was accompanied at the meeting by Senator Sardar Ali Khan.

When contacted, president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said: “The issue of local bodies’ polls was also discussed during the meeting.”

He said the ANP leaders were assured that elections would be held after the provincial assembly adopted the local government bill to be presented in a few days.

Only Balochistan has so far enacted a local government bill.

The delegation praised the steps taken for restoring peace in Karachi and making the administration more responsive to a law and order situation in the province.

“They also welcomed the decision to immediately fill the vacant posts of judges of anti-terrorism courts and to strengthen the prosecution side of the justice system,” Mr Babar said.

The president said the government was committed to protecting the life and property of citizens because that was the prime responsibility of a democratic government.

He said the government would continue its efforts to take all political forces along on major decisions. “He reiterated the government’s resolve to restore peace and law and order and to bring the culprits to book regardless of their politicalaffiliation, if any,” the spokesman said.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that issues other than local bodies’ elections but several were also discussed.

“We praised the decision of restoration of the commissionerate system in Sindh and we will soon replicate the system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

He said restoration of the system was the demand of all provincial governments.

“But only one political party is trying to protect former President Pervez Musharraf’s local government system,” he said.

The meeting, he said, also reviewed the law and order situation in Karachi and the ANP demanded across-the-board action against elements involved in target killings, arson and looting.

“We asked the president to take appropriate steps to make Karachi weapon-free so that bloodshed can be stopped,” he added.

PML-Q: Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q also called on the presidentand exchanged views on the political situation.

According to sources, they asked the president to give representation to their party in the Sindh cabinet. They presented the names of Mohammad Ali Malkani, Sheryar Mehr, Haleem Adil Sheikh and Ijaz Shah for induction into the provincial cabinet.

The presidential spokesman said the president had not accepted the resignation of Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad in order to keep the doors of reconciliation open. “We have not shut our doors for the MQM,” he said.