Sindh local government bill challenged in High Court

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has challenged the Local Government (Amendment) Act 2021 in Sindh High Court, which was passed in the provincial assembly last month in a chaotic session.

Challenging the bill, JI Amir from Karachi Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that the bill — which was passed on December 11, 2021 — was “illegal and in violation of Article 140A of the Constitution.”

The petition contends that “despite majority votes, legislation contrary to the Constitution cannot be enacted.” Rehman has requested the court to stop the Sindh government from implementing the new Local Government Bill.

JI’s protest sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly against the local government act, 2021 entered the fourth day on Monday. Gawadar Rights Movement leader Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman and representatives of various bodies belonging to the trade, doctors and lawyers visited the sit-in to express solidarity with protesters.

They also made brief speeches and supported the calls for protest demanding withdrawal of the new law. Holding placards and banners, the charged protesters chanted slogans against the PPP government and the new law.

“We have made enough appeals and requests [to the Sindh government],” said Hafiz Naeem while addressing the protesters.

“The PPP has proved itself to be a party of feudal and landlords. The same mindset they have demonstrated while drafting the new local government law considering all people their peasants,” he added.

He said the Sindh government had encroached upon every single authority meant for the city government and this had been done only to recover from the devastating defeat the PPP had already conceded.

The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party get passed an amended local government bill that takes away functions of education and health care from municipal bodies and replaces open ballot for the election of mayors, deputy mayors, etc.

The Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021 also abolishes District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) in urban parts of the province, replacing them with Town Municipal Corporations.