KARACHI: Mustafa Kamal-led Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) continued its sit-in on Monday at Fawara Chowk near Governor House against the controversial Sindh Local Government (LG) law.
A day earlier, Mustafa held a protest demonstration which was later converted into a sit-in for an indefinite period until the withdrawal of the bill. A large number of PSP activists including women have converged at the Din Mohammad Wafai Road, which leads from Fawara Chowk to Arts Council. The road has been closed for vehicular traffic and pedestrians and commuters facing delays commuting to Saddar area.
PSP chief Mustafa Kamal said the protest would continue until the Sindh government withdraws the bill. However, the party has shelved plans to march towards the Chief Minister’s House. Police on Sunday closed roads leading towards the CM House which were reopened later but containers still lay on the roadside.
Kamal had announced plans to stage a sit-in at the CM House but headed directly towards the Fawara Chowk where the PSP had prepared a stage. Mustafa Kamal was accompanied by his family members including his wife and children. Mustafa Kamal said the protest would continue until the Sindh government accepts PSP demands over the Sindh Local Government Act 2021.
Later addressing the protesters, the PSP chief said his party has postponed the planned march on the CM house, but it would stage a sit-in until the government accepts their demands about the local bodies law.
Kamal revealed that after his warning about a sit-in at the CM House, the Sindh government had held talks with the PSP. He said the government was ready to accept 70% of its demands. The demands were heard but had not been accepted yet, he added.
Kamal said that PSP not only wants the Sindh government to hand over powers to elected local bodies representatives but also come clean over the use of funds. The PSP leader said that his party began the protest at district levels and then he announced the January 30 protest at the CM House so that the Sindh government could hear to his demands.
Mustafa Kamal said his party had refrained from giving the issue an ethnic colour. Taking a dig at the MQM-P, he said that he had not brought only a few dozen people who could be removed from the streets with a baton charge.
