KARACHI - The writers, poets, civil society activists and concerned citizens reiterating their demand to revoke the controversial Sindh Peoples’ Local Government Act (SPLGA) 2012, which has caused an unprecedented damage to the Sindh and divided the province in dual administrative system of the governments.
Under the banner of Sindh Writers and Thinkers Forum, the writer and political analyst Jami Chandio, writer and poet Ishtiaq Ansari, Inam Shaikh, Zulfiqar Ali Halepoto and others were while addressing a joint press conference at Karachi Press Club on Saturday said that a study of the 28 countries, where federal parliamentary system is enforced, but they have not given any federal or provincial subjects to the local government except the subject of civic amenities.
The Forum leaders said that ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party is generally considered as the party mainly belonging to Sindh; however, instead of safeguarding Sindh’s rights, it has caused fatal damage to the integrity, economy, human development and developmental infrastructure of Sindh through bad governance, corruption, nepotism and misuse of people’s mandate.
They believed that PPP’s sitting government has betrayed the democratic mandate of majority of people of Sindh.
They reminded that during the last elections, the PPP got majority mandate because of its promise with the people of Sindh that it will annul Pervez Musharraf regime’s discriminatory decision of handing over Sindh’s cities to an urban based ethnic party by creating new limitations of districts. People of Sindh wanted a government that could have not only compensated the heavy economic and political loss occurred to Sindh irrespective of their religion, ethnicity and language through good governance, they said, adding that the dynamic behind the heavy mandate offered to PPP was to establish a responsive and stable government in Sindh; on the country, the feudal and opportunist elite, in the name of “reconciliation” joins hands with the urban ethnic party, which proved to be continuity of the Musharraf’s legacy.
They alleged that during last four and half year the government led by the feudal-urban elites’ nexus has virtually damaged peace, rule of law, education, physical infrastructure, democratic institutions and resources. They blamed that PPP has ditched hopes of people of Sindh and created social anarchy, insecurity and hopelessness.
They added the concurrent list was abolished in 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010; resultant1y, education was completely transferred to the respective provinces and powers of public sector universities and education boards were also transferred from governors to the elected chief ministers. In violation to the l8th Constitutional Amendment, Sindh is the only province where still the powers of public sector universities and educational boards rest with the governor, which is absolutely that deprives the chief executive of the province of its constitutional rights, they claimed.
They appealed to the people of Sindh to do strict accountability of the politicians, parties and groups, which have caused serious damage to the unity, economy and political harmony of Sindh in next elections.
The writers and Thinkers Forum vowed to continue their struggle against anti-Sindh SPLGA 2012 till it is annulled.
They also appealed to all the Sindh-loving permanently-settled citizens of Sindh, irrespective of their linguistic, ethnic and religious basis to join the forum in this noble struggle, which aims to get rid of prejudiced system, which ultimately would ensure peace and harmony among people of Sindh.