KARACHI, Oct 3: The Sindh Bachayo Committee has termed the new local government legislation a “black law” and rejected it, saying the way it was adopted in the Sindh Assembly was also undemocratic.

The SBC also criticised Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro for ignoring the protest of lawmakers who were opposing the bill.

Declaring the law as unanimously passed was the negation of democratic principles, which called for recording objection even if it was made by one member of the house.

This was stated by SBC convener Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah at a press conference on Wednesday evening at Hyder Manzil after presiding over a meeting held to review the situation and formulate a strategy to continue their protest until the repeal of the new law. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazal), Jamaat-i-Islami and other political and religious parties.

Mr Shah, who is also the chief of the Sindh United Party, said whole Sindh had risen in protest for the last one week against the law. “The people had mandated the Pakistan People’s Party to form a government, not to divide Sindh,” he said and added that the new law was a joint bill of the Pakistan People’s Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and not a bill reflecting aspirations of the people, and the SBC had decided to continue its struggle against the law until it was repealed.

He said the SBC had also decided to launch a mass contact campaign. A sit-in would be staged against it outside the Karachi Press Club on Oct 10, followed by a public meeting on Oct 12 in Badin, he added.

Mr Shah said the committee had decided to continue to stage sit-ins and hold protest rallies against those lawmakers who had “betrayed and compromised the interests” of the province by supporting the bill.

The SBC chief said taking out rallies and staging sit-ins was a democratic right of the people, but in Nawabshah and elsewhere brutal force was used that resulted in the death of an activist and injuries to many workers. Alleging that numerous people protesting against the law had been arrested, he said in Nawabshah, President Asif Ali Zardari’s hometown, the Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies had created a curfew-like situation.

Holding the government responsible for the situation, he said an FIR would be lodged for the killing against the chief minister.

Opinion

Editorial

Closed doors
Updated 08 Jan, 2025

Closed doors

The nation’s fate has been decided through secret deals for too long, with the result that the citizenry has become increasingly alienated from the state.
Debt burden
08 Jan, 2025

Debt burden

THE federal government’s total debt stock soared by above 11pc year-over-year to Rs70.4tr at the end of November,...
GB power crisis
08 Jan, 2025

GB power crisis

MASS protests are not a novelty in Pakistan, and when the state refuses to listen through the available channels —...
Fragile peace
Updated 07 Jan, 2025

Fragile peace

Those who have lost loved ones, as well as those whose property has been destroyed in the clashes, must get justice.
Captive power cut
07 Jan, 2025

Captive power cut

THE IMF’s refusal to relax its demand for discontinuation of massively subsidised gas supplies to mostly...
National embarrassment
Updated 07 Jan, 2025

National embarrassment

The global eradication of polio is within reach and Pakistan has no excuse to remain an outlier.