Mammoth rally rejects LG law
By: Ramzan Chandio
KARACHI – The participants of a huge public gathering of nationalist and other political parties on Wednesday rejected the Sindh People Local Government Law, terming it a plot of ruling PPP and MQM to plunge the province into civil war-like situation, which may pave way for division of Sindh in future.The protest sit-in, which was organised by the Save Sindh Committee, comprised of nationalist parties. They staged sit-in outside the Karachi Press Club and demanded immediate withdrawal of the controversial local government law.The workers’ caravans of the political parties while hoisting their party flags and chanting slogans against the PPP government reached the venue of sit-in on Wednesday’s afternoon, which converted into huge public gathering.Besides Sindh’s nationalist parties,
including Sindh United Party (SUP), Sindh Tarqi Passand Party (STPP), Awami Tehreek, Sindhiani Tehreek, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mohaz (JSQM), Jeay Sindh Tehreek, Awami Jamhori Party, Sindh National Movement, Jeay Sindh Mohaz, Sindh Hari Committee, Jeay Sindh Qoumprast Party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Functional), National Peoples Party (NPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakhtunkhawa Milli Awai Party (PKMAP) of Achakzai, Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, JUP-Noorani, Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) and other groups participated in the anti-government protest.Save Sindh Committee convener and chief of Sindh United Party, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah while addressing the public gathering said that today’s protest sit-in proved unity among the peoples of Sindh whatever they language speak. He termed the passage of dual-administrative local government system law an insult of the mandate of people of Sindh given to the PPP and MQM. The nationalist leader said people of Sindh want uniform local government system in province which serves the interest of the Sindh and acceptable to all the political parties.He criticised the hasty passage of the local government law, saying that the democracy is the name of participation and transparency. He termed the dual local government law as a first step towards division of Sindh province. He believed that it was an international conspiracy to divide Sindh in first step, which ultimately lead towards breakup of Pakistan. He demanded the PPP and MQM to apologise to the people of Sindh for bringing Black Law of local government. Jalal Shah described the recovery of explosives material and cracker attacks on the houses of the PPP ministers a drama created by the government to divert the attention of the public as people are in anger against the PPP over its alleged anti-Sindh law.The SUP chief said that their struggle was peaceful but the ruling PPP was trying to make it violent through threats and attacks against the leaders of nationalist parties.He said that public gathering in support of local government law announced by the ruling party on October 15 in Hyderabad was actually a ‘Jalsa’ of MQM, in which the PPP was going to participate. Dr Qadir Magsi, chief of Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party in his aggressive tone came down hard against the ruling PPP and MQM, alleging that both the ruling parties brought a black law, which is a threat to the sovereignty of Sindh.“We are peaceful but ready to fight to safeguard the geographical boundaries and interests of Sindh,” announced Dr Magsi. He said that the PPP was trying to wage a civil war through imposing black law and confrontation between the people of Sindh.The nationalist leader said that the PPP had threatened all the government employees to participate in its government-sponsored public gathering in support of its black law on October 15 in Hyderabad. He floated a suggestion to give call of shutter-down and wheel-jam strike and to observe black day in Hyderabad division on October 15, the day when the ruling PPP is going to organise a public gathering in support of local government law. PML-N leader Saleem Zia termed the local government system a Black Law, which is a threat to the sovereignty of the province. He declared that his party will be integral part of the struggle of nationalist parties against the LG law.Zia said that his leader Nawaz Sharif already declared that more provinces could be created in other provinces but the PML-N will never support any move to bring change in the existing geographical boundaries of Sindh.Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) vice chairman Shamshad Gauri while rejecting the local government law said that his party will be part of struggle to safeguard the rights of the Sindh province. He alleged that state-run operation started during Musharraf regime against his party is still continuing.Pir Yasir Shah, grandson of Pir Pagara of PML-F, demanded the government to withdraw the controversial local government law.PML-F female MPA Nusrat Sehar Abbasi said that she was ready to sacrifice her life for the rights of the province. NPP MPA Masroor Jatoi demanded the PPP government to withdraw the LG law and bring a new draft for debate in the public as well as in Sindh Assembly. He said that today’s sit-in was an eye opener for the PPP. JSQM chief Sunnan Qureshi, Jamaat-e-Islami Sindh chief Maulana Asadullah Bhutto, JUP-Noorani’s leader Qazi Ahmed Noorani, Jeay Sindh Tehreek chief Dr Safdar Sarki, Awami Tehreek’s general secretary Anwar Soomro, Awami Jamhori Party’s President Abrar Kazi, PTI’s Aslam Rajput, Sunni Tehreek’s Matloob Awan, Riaz Chandio of JSM, Qamar Bhatti and others also addressed the public gathering.
Courtesy: The Nation
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