HYDERABAD, April 9 Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and its coalition partners have unanimously proposed revival of old local bodies system as enshrined in the Sindh Local Government System (SLGO) 2001, said Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro on Thursday.

The minister said the system would be without a nazim after making amendments in local government laws.

He was talking to journalists after presiding over a meeting of law officers, police officers including DIGs, DPOs, SP investigations, district attorneys, solicitors and revenue officers seeking suggestions for expeditious disposal of cases and efficient working of officials in courts.

He said that the PPP wanted to revive the old system and coalition partners were on board in this regard. “We want a nazim-free local bodies system in the country. The present LG system is the brainchild of a retired army general in which an illiterate nazim was empowered to write annual confidential report (ACR) of a DPO,” he said adding 'Under proposed LG system there would be chairmen district and taluka councils and municipal corporations, city mayor and councillor as per old SLGO 1979”. “All four provinces have expressed their willingness to seek revival of old system,” he said.

He maintained that the MQM and the ANP had given their consent in a meeting held on Tuesday. “There will be commissioner, deputy commissioner and SDM under old commissioner system after amendments,” he said. He stated that the Police Order would also go.

He said chemical and ballistic laboratories would be established at divisional level and Sindh chief minister had sanctioned one for Larkana division for immediate delivery of reports. He suggested close coordination between law and police officers in order to ensure government wins court cases. He said that law officers were directed to give due respect to police officers on their appearance before courts adding that law officers were supposed to guide police officers. He said that law officers should represent police officers for seeking remand of accused for investigation and DPO and DIGs would be asked to ensure submission of challan within 14 days. “Law officers have to appear in their proper dress in courts,” he said.

He asked the revenue and law officers to inform concerned Regional Police Officer (RPO), DIG or DCO for not getting response from police or revenue officer concerned during litigation. He said that law officers would also be appointed in courts to handle backlog and inform police officers not to turn-up in court if concerned judge was on leave, through wireless messages.

The interesting part of the press conference was the statement of minister which he later clarified pertained to modification of section 22-A CrPC under which anyone could seek registration of FIR through courts if an SHO denied this right. The minister claimed that the government would consider modification of this section because in various cases FIRs' registration were being ordered without hearing the other side i.e., police or state counsel.

However, when journalists pressed him that whether the government intends of depriving people of this right, he said it meant that in 22-A Cr.PC applications, notice should also be given to state for proper hearing of the application and registration of FIR shouldn't be ordered straightaway. He said that there were cases in which lodging of FIR was ordered without notice to other side.

“We want to curb misuse of this section because complainant has another alternate, in shape of direct complaint. When court would hear the other side, facts of the case would come to the fore as to nature of offence”, he said. He asked law officers to see that other side - the state - was also issued notice in such applications.

He said that the government was also considering evening courts for hearing of regular cases and expressed the hope that they would start functioning in June.