The Division of Sindh By PPP!

Recently, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s members of Sindh provincial assembly (MPAs) have staged a protest against the Local government Amendment Ordinance-2013. MQM`s parliamentary leader, Syed Sardar Ahmad claimed that the existing LB Amendment Ordinance was a black law. He explained that through the Ordinance, the deputy commissioners had been empowered to declare any ruler areas as the urban areas that would cause more division in the rural and urban population of Sindh.

MQM has already challenged the Sindh Local Government Act of 2013 in the Supreme Court stating that the law was against Article 140-A of the constitution which required setting up a local government system with complete political, administrative and financial responsibilities devolved to the elected local government representatives. According to the petitioner Dr. Farooq Sattar, under the Article 140-A, the third tier of government was to be established which should be self-contained, autonomous, responsive and catering to the local needs. “But, the Act negates the very concept of devolution of power from provinces to local bodies”, Dr. Farooq Sattar pointed out.

Since the end of the tenure of the last elected district governments in 2010, MQM has been urging PPP government to hold local bodies elections at the earliest in order to lessen the people`s problems. However, PPP led Sindh government at once rolled back the City District Government system of 2001, which was designed on modern Local government system like any other country. Recently, it has introduced the local government system that focuses on centralization instead devolution of powers. Consequently, it will put the elected representatives of the district governments at the mercy of the Sindh government as they would not be having the said authorities and powers as required by the Article 140-A of the Constitution.  

Needless to mention that whether it is the matter of system of local bodies or the recent delimitations in Urban Sindh, PPP has deliberately tried to deprive the urban political party with the mayor-ship in urban cities of Sindh. The question is, in the scenario where the CM-ship of the province is already restricted for the urban population, will depriving them of the administration in the cities not deteriorate the situation?

   

MQM has always argued for the devolution of powers to the lower level. For this, it has been urging on forming new administrative units or provinces in the country as this step will not only help in good governance, but will also automatically create the sense of participation in especially smaller communities of the country. In this context, MQM also submitted a resolution to the National Assembly for the Hazara and the South Punjab provinces. However, at the same time, MQM leadership made it very clear that it did not want a new province or division in Sindh.

This clarification caused an outburst of severe criticism towards MQM. All of its traditional rivals objections to MQM`s stand and termed it as a hypocrisy that on one hand it was demanding new provinces in the country, but on the other, it rejected the same in Sindh. Frankly speaking, this objection was logically valid because, like the rest of the country, new administrative units should be constituted in Sindh too in order to lessen the sense of isolation in especially smaller communities of the country.

Moreover, if new administrative units/provinces are constituted in Sindh, it will politically benefit MQM the most. Taking into account the globally recognized performance of the local governments in urban Sindh led by MQM from 2005 to 2010, it can develop its politically under-control unit the way it has always wanted. It will not have to face any hurdles or obstacles from any politically elected oligarchies belonging to Interior Sindh, nor will its ministers need to wait for the approvals of their development projects from the CM pertaining to any anti-MQM political party. In short, MQM will be in the best position to present its administered unit as a model of its performance before the entire Pakistan. More importantly, it will have the required powers and authorities over the law-enforcement agencies to control the law and order of its province. Thus, there will be no such a situation there in which the authority and powers are enjoyed by any other political party, but the responsibility is put on MQM`s shoulders.

Considering all the above stated facts, how is it possible that MQM is opposing any possibility of a new province in Sindh? When MQM is going to get so many political benefits, then, why is it unnecessarily inviting criticism from its rivals by opposing a province in Sindh? It is also on record that as a result of MQM`s voice for new provinces in KPK and Punjab, the CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif retaliated by raising the issue of a new province in Sindh too. But, it was MQM which altogether such a demand from him.

In fact, it is a great sacrifice of MQM just for promoting ethnic harmony in Sindh between Sindhi and Urdu speaking communities. MQM is intentionally ignoring all of its political benefits to be emerged in the case of new unit in Sindh just for the sake of unity in the province. But, what did MQM get in return for all its united-politics? A biased local bodies system, ethnically motivated delimitations and the state operation have been imposed on it.

All those who claim to be impartial spectators, national leaders, champions of civil society, religious scholars and the lord of justice in Pakistan, must speak up over all these prejudiced steps and ensure equal rights for the people in urban Sindh as well. Otherwise, urban Sindh may feel compelled and build pressure on MQM to revisit their stand and, in such a scenario, the history may not take any time to repeat itself.