HYDERABAD, Oct 13: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has ruled out the possibility of withdrawal or repeal of the Sindh People’s Local Government Act, 2012 but said the government will talk to opponents of the law and try to bring them round.The chief minister said at a news conference here on Saturday that the Pakistan People’s Party would go ahead with its scheduled public meeting and if anybody tried to take the law into their hands then the law would take its course.

He invited opponents to talks, saying “let better sense prevail and let us be part of a dialogue” but added “withdrawal of law or its repeal is out of the question. The government can’t do it because it has been passed by the assembly. We can talk to them [opponents] to convince them…”.

He referred to reports that some elements might try to disrupt PPP rallies and said the PPP and its ally were in majority in the house with three-fourth seats and in a democratic dispensation, a minority could not dictate its terms to a majority.

The government studied all previous local government systems before introducing the new law. “We wanted to bring in a better law and if the opposition had reservations it should have raised objections. “I assure (people) the new system is in the larger interest of Sindh,” he said.

He tried to dispel the fear that the mayor of Karachi had more powers than mayors of Larkana or Sukkur. “All mayors will have equal powers,” he said. The chief minister said that opponents had not so far discovered any clause in the new law that indicated division of Sindh.

He said that in the previous system a district nazim used to exercise powers of a minister. “But now he has been made subordinate to the chief minister and he can be removed after an inquiry to be conducted against him by the local government commission over any complaint about his involvement in any malpractice or irregularity,” he said.

He said that among the many checks and balances introduced in the new law powers of local governments had been trimmed to a great extent and all constitutional powers rested with the chief minister.

He said the opponents rejected the law and launched into protests without reading the document. The government would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands. “Our public meeting will be held in a peaceful manner and the participants will be provided full protection. But if anyone tried to create disturbances law will take its course and it will make the violators an example,” he said.

He said the government did not object to public meetings and rallies being organised by its opponents. “But it is against democratic norms that you threaten others and say you will not let them hold a public meeting,” he said.

Mr Shah said that some common friends were trying to mediate between the government and opponents, especially a veteran politician, and “I hope we will be able to persuade them... If a consensus is evolved we will amend the law because it is not a divine law,” he said.

Mr Shah was highly critical of Mohabbat-i-Sindh peace rally in Karachi which, he said, was taken out without permission with the result that people were killed.

After abolition of concurrent lists, he said, all subjects had been transferred to provinces. “We do have a dispute with the federal government over transfer of financial resources of devolved subjects,” he said.

Sindh Ministers Ayaz Soomro, Agha Siraj Durrani, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Zahid Bhurgari and Haji Muzaffar Shujra also attended the press conference.