Rejecting the 1979 Local Government system, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Co-ordination Committee Tuesday said the restoration of Local Government Act-1979 and issuance of its notification tantamount to usurping people's rights and an assault on democracy.
The committee also termed the 1979 Local Government system obsolete and vowed to use its constitutional, legal and democratic rights to record its peaceful protest against the system on every platform, including the Sindh Assembly, besides taking legal majors. These views were expressed by MQM Co-ordination Committee's Kunwar Naveed Jameel and other members - Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui, Yousuf Shehwani and Aslam Afridi - at a crowded press conference at Khursheed Begum Secretariat, Azizabad.
Describing the 21st Century as "the Century of devolution of powers at grass-roots level, Jameel said the Local Government system which was in vogue world-wide - at some place in the form of towns and at other places it is known as Borough (district) - and being run by mayors and are empowered to help solve day-to-day problems of people.
Quoting the Articles 140-A of the Constitution's which states: "Each province shall by law establish a Local Government System and Devolve, Political, Administrative and Financial Responsibility and Authority to elected representatives of the Local Government," he said that although it was mandatory upon the provinces to establish Local Government system strictly in accordance with the said Article, the Local Government Act-1979 did have any such powers.
Lashing out at the 1979 Local Government system, he said that under the system the elected local government representative would not have the money at their disposal even to meet expenditures required for ensuring cleanliness and providing clean water to their respective cities and towns.
He said though the only source of revenue under the 1979 Local Government system was Octroi, the former federal government had abolished the Octroi after introducing the GST which, he added, failed to generate reasonable revenue under both 2013 and 1979 Local Bodies systems. He demanded of the government to enforce the Local Government system in the light of the Constitution's Article 140-A, and make arrangements for holding local body elections in the province without any further delay.