ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: The controversy over promulgation of an ordinance on local government system in Sindh dominated the Senate proceedings on Friday, with the Awami National Party (ANP) terming it a conspiracy to divide the province. The Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement defended the Sindh People’s Government Ordinance of 2012.

The discussion on a motion about targeted killings and sectarian violence in Balochistan, Karachi and Gilgit-Baltistan turned into a heated debate on the local government system in Sindh.

Senator Shahi Syed criticised the promulgation of the ordinance and said it would benefit only one party. He said the law and order situation in Karachi was extremely poor and that ANP workers were being victimised.

Describing the move as a conspiracy to divide Sindh, Mr Syed said it would lead to frustration and allow extremist elements to exploit the situation.

Senator Nasreen Jalil of the MQM said the ordinance should have been issued a long time ago. She said the entire country was facing law and order problems and Karachi was no exception.

Turning to the Balochistan crisis, she said the estranged Baloch leaders should be engaged in dialogue and efforts should be made to bring them into the political mainstream.

She said Balochistan had long been facing deprivation and it was high time that its demands were met and its problems solved. Abdul Nabi Bangash of the ANP said the MQM “was now shedding crocodile tears on the Balochistan situation” because it was part of government when Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed. “We hold them equally responsible for the killing,” he remarked.

He said the PPP had fallen prey to expediency and blackmailing. He said one local government system for Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas and another one for the rest of the province was a conspiracy to divide Sindh.

Muzaffar Shah of the PML-F criticised the promulgation of the ordinance at a time when both the houses of parliament were in session. He said there was no concept of sectarianism when Pakistan came into being but deviation from the vision of Quaid-i-Azam had led to chaos in the country. He said that promotion and transfer of officials should be carried out strictly on merit and no political influence should be entertained when dealing with criminals.

It was the state’s responsibility to identify any conspiracies hatched against the country, he said.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri said there had been several incidents in which officials of law-enforcement agencies were found to be involved in excesses and illegal activities in Balochistan.

He said the trend of condemning religious parties for terrorist attacks should be discouraged because these could be acts of groups who had nothing to do with religion.

Haji Adeel of the ANP said a conspiracy had been hatched for the division of Sindh. “We are strongly against the local bodies’ ordinance which has been issued in haste and under the cover of darkness.”

He announced that as a mark of protest his party would boycott the sessions of both the houses of parliament. “Our minister in Sindh will also submit his resignation and if the ordinance is not revoked we can even move one step forward,” he said.

Maula Bux Chandio of the PPP said the ANP had every right to disagree with the ruling party but the tone and tenor used by Mr Adeel was inappropriate. He said that in the past the ANP had stood by the PPP in difficult times.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the house that the Kamra airbase had been attacked by terrorists hailing from Punjab.

He said a Lashkar-i-Jhangvi activist was freely roaming in Punjab and was arrested only after he had told the Punjab government that the man would be arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency if the terrorist was not seized by Punjab police.

He said he had requested the prime minister for an in-camera session of the Senate to give a frank briefing on the Balochistan situation and hinted at the possibility of convening a joint session of parliament for the purpose.

Hafiz Hamidullah of the JUI-F staged a walkout from the house when his mike was switched off on the order of the chairman after he spoke for around 20 minutes.

Mr Malik was to wind up the discussion on law and order and with this understanding the house was adjourned to meet again at 3.30pm after break for Friday prayers, but Ishaq Dar of the PML-N suggested that the discussion on the important subject be continued for another two or three days.

Leader of the House Jehangir Badr and Mr Malik agreed with the idea and the session was prorogued sine die.