HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qau­­­­mi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that although the apex court has handed down a landmark judgement on the question of local government there is greater need to bring a new constitutional amendment to define authority and powers of local governments (LGs) in the country.

The 18th Amendment was meant for devolution of power, not for concentration of power but waderas and jagirdars exploited it to concentrate powers as they did not want to delegate authority to common man but now “the days of waderas, jagirdars and sardars are numbered”, he said.

Dr Siddiqui told journalists at the party’s district office here on Wednesday that the new amendment should ensure that provincial or national polls would not be held if LG bodies were not in existence. Like provision for interim premier and chief minister, there should be a provision for an interim mayor for three months. “We are working on it,” he said.

He said that Feb 1 verdict clearly declared that no legislation that was in conflict with constitution could be made.

MQM-P had been facing an undeclared political and administrative ban for around 10 years and despite having gone through Aug 22, 2016 episode and other issues the party had kept its narrative intact. MQM-P was still busy waging result oriented struggle, he said.

He said that MQM-P had adopted judicial and parliamentary path. “We have been telling ‘power mafia’ that if issues are not settled through vote then ‘roads’ will decide them,” he remarked.

He said that history of Sindh’s cities was witness that scenario in Islamabad started changing when people of the cities rose up against status quo. It was an irony that whenever so-called democratic government was formed basic democracies remained missing. “Jagirdarana politics and wadera rulers never want to change life of common Pakistani because feudal system always flourishes in hunger, tyranny, poverty, unemployment and ignorance,” he said.

He said that kangaroo courts delivered thousands of sentences against MQM workers but history showed that barring one (Saulat Mirza) none proved guilty. MQM had some trust in higher judiciary which had come up to its expectations. Interpreting constitution was judiciary’s domain, he said.

He paid tribute to MQM’s team that had worked along with other political parties on the 18th Amendment. When PPP and PML-N decided to bring the amendment MQM’s numerical strength became irrelevant “but in order to ensure LGs become a third tier of government MQM’s team got 140-A inserted in the 18th Amendment,” he said.

He told a questioner that MQM-P would not leave the path of judiciary and parliament and said the judgement was clear. It called for giving the same powers to people of Pakistan that were available to people in civilised countries and it had defined the way the law would be implemented, he said.

When the 18th Amendment was being finalised why did not Yusuf Raza Gilani say he had been stripped of powers, he asked. “Is it their jagir and if they really didn’t want to do anything for common Sindhi then they should better go home,” he said in answer to a questioner’s remark that Sindh chief minister said LGs had been given more powers.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2022