JI announces to end protest as Sindh govt agrees to accept its demands

KARACHI: (HRNW) The Jamaat e Islami (JI) on Friday announced to end its protest after 29 days, as the Sindh government agreed to accept its demands regarding amendments in the Sindh Local Government Act.

The decision in this regard was taken in a meeting between a delegation of the Sindh government led by Provincial Local Bodies Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and JI leadership including JI Karachi Chief Hafiz Naeem and MPA Syed Abdul Rasheed. Pakistan Peoples Party’s Dr Asim Hussain and Waqar Mehdi were also present on this occasion.

The JI and Sindh government have reached an agreement according to which Sindh Local Bodies Act, 2013, would be amended to give more powers to city mayors. Several important departments including health, education and tax would be under the local government.

They also agreed that local bodies elections would be held 90 days after amendment in the law. The Sindh government promised to establish provincial finance commission. Mayors and town chairmen would be members of the commission.

Addressing on this occasion, Hafiz Naeem said participants of the sit-in protest had amazed not just 350 million people of Karachi, but the entire country. TV anchors, analysts and reporters were also surprised watching steadfastness of the JI activists as they thought that they would not be able to stage the sit-in beyond few days amid cold weather.

He said the central sit-in continued and the number of people began piling up. Then a big march was held on Shahra e Faisal and after that JI Chief Siraj ul Haq was invited to address the public gathering before the Sindh Assembly, he maintained.

Talking to media, Nasir Shah said talks had been going on for several days and multiple meetings were held in this regard. He said they discusses the Sindh local bodies act and decided that amendment would be table before the assembly in which the powers of mayor would be returned to him.

The provincial minister said mayor would be chairman of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board as well as Solid Waste Management Authority. He said monthly and annual funding would be provided to UCs, while the health institutes would also be under the local government.