KARACHI, Sept 7: The Sindh Bachayo Committee (Save Sindh Committee) on Friday gave a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike call for Sept 13 across the province against the Sindh People’s Local Government Ordinance, 2012.

It also appealed to political parties, social organisations, professional bodies and people from all walks of life to make the event a historic one.

A meeting of the SBC presided over by its convener Syed Jalal Mehmoood Shah took stock of the situation following the promulgation of the SPLGO, 2012 and its perceived effect on the unity and harmony of Sindh.

The meeting was attended by representatives of various nationalist and political parties, including Dr Qadir Magsi, Dr Niaz Kalani, Hussain Bux Narejo, Ali Hasan Chandio, Qamar Bhatti, Sardar Taj Muhmmad Domki, Dr Dodo Mehri, Shah Muhammad Shah, Nusrat Sehar Abbasi, Saleem Zia, Amir Bux Bhutto, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, Zia Abbas and Badshah Gul.

After the meeting, a declaration was read out at a press conference addressed by the SBC leaders.

Terming the new LG law a second attempt by the Pakistan People’s Party government to wreck the unity of Sindh, the declaration said that One Unit had been imposed in Karachi by abolishing the role of districts for municipal services purposes.

“Sindh will never accept such a draconian law and resist it with full might and force,” the declaration said.

“Until and unless this un-constitutional and illegal ordinance was withdrawn forthwith people of Sindh will not accept it as a genuine law and no local government system will be allowed to be run on its basis.”

“The PPP government by issuing an extra-constitutional and illegal ordinance in the darkness of night has again attacked the unity of Sindh,” the declaration said.

“Repeating past history, the extra-constitutionally appointed Sindh governor has again issued the ordinance and the meeting considers such action as an act of treason against the constitution for which not only Governor Ibad but the chief minister, local government minister and other members of the Sindh government need to be tried for capital punishment. The person behind this whole conspiracy is President Asif Ali Zardari.”

According to the Constitution, the declaration said, provincial subjects such as revenue, health, education, police and host of others cannot be transferred to municipal authorities and such an effort was aimed at abrogating the constitution for which Article 6 must be invoked. “Only municipal functions could be given to a local government and transfer of other functions amounts not only to violation of the constitution but also of the office as well as mandate of the people.”

Referring to the issuance of another ordinance to amend the Sindh Civil Servants Act, 1974, the declaration said that the Sindh Assembly had been made a deaf and dumb institution as Sindh was being run by ordinances.

The government wanted to install its own political administrators in the local governments in order to manage general elections and such an effort was aimed at sabotaging the electoral process for which the election commission of Pakistan should also take notice, it added.

“Sindh needs a local government system based on municipal functions and community development and no powers of Sindh could either be surrendered to federal or local government. This is a ploy to usurp the sovereignty of Sindh and aimed at wresting the control of its cities.”