KARACHI: The Sindh assembly on Monday adopted five civic laws in one go amid the opposition’s protest walkout for not being “consulted” on the legislation.
Opposition parties, MQM, GDA, TLP and MMA, disapproved the PPP’s move of introducing laws without consulting with them, saying that they found out about the legislation after reaching the house.
However, the treasury claimed that the legislation is aimed at to empower the civic departments in other cities of the province, as well, and decentralizing the powers to the lower levels.
“We came to know after reaching the house that the government is bringing bills, on the civic departments,” MQM’s Muhammad Hussain said and added: “we are opposed to the procedure”.
He called the legislation “blind bills”, saying that if the government had to legislate arbitrarily then it should have blindfolded the opposition to adopt laws with a majority on its side.
“It is against the rules to not provide the lawmakers with the copies of bills,” he said and announced to walk out from the house in protest, as other opposition parties also followed suit.
TLP’s parliamentary leader, Qasim Fakhri said that the opposition was not provided with an opportunity to study the bills. Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mukesh Kumar Chawla; however, showed a surprise over the walkout.
Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro explained that the government intends to empower all the local councils. Citing Article 140, he said that work in this regard has already begun in Karachi, as now it is other cities’ turn.
He said that the government also wants to make the civic departments powerful to serve the public in a better way. For solving water and sewerage problems, the government is making legislation.
He introduced the five bills and all of them saw a brisk approval from the treasury benches to become laws. The bills included: “The Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation Bill, 2023”, “The Mirpurkhas Water and Sewerage Corporation Bill, 2023”, “The Shaheed Benazirabad (Nawabshah) Water and Sewerage Corporation Bill, 2023”, “The Larkana Water and Sewerage Corporation Bill, 2023” and “The Sukkur Water and Sewerage Corporation Bill, 2023”.
Besides, “The Sindh Local Government (Third Amendment) Bill, 2023”, “The Hands Institute of Development Studies Bill, 2023” and “The Karachi Metropolitan University Bill, 2022” were also passed into law.
Later, the opposition returned to the floor. Rana Ansar, the opposition leader told the house that they were not against the civic laws but having objections that the legislation was carried out without consultation.
MMA’s Syed Abdul Rasheed said that the legislation, which was carried out without the opposition consultation, is important. “You (PPP) are giving an election contract,” he said.
The local councils are being given the powers to collect taxes from the public, he said and expressed helplessness that “might is right” in the society. The house now stands adjourned till Tuesday morning.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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