ISLAMABAD - Awami National Party (ANP) delegation led by MNA Pervaiz Khan called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf at his Parliament’s House Chamber Tuesday and conveyed the party’S reservations over the PPP plan of introducing Local Bodies Ordinance, 2012.
Sources in ANP informed TheNation that during the meeting ANP leaders had shown their reservations over the new Local Bodies Ordinance, which according to them, was aimed at just pleasing one of the coalition partnerS of the government in Sindh.
The ANP leaders, according to the sources, forewarned the expected fallout of the new ordinance and demanded of the Prime Minister to incorporate their reservations over the proposed draft of the ordinance.
The sources further said that the ANP leaders have made it clear to the government that in the present shape the new local bodies system would not be acceptable to them and they would oppose it tooth and nail.
The sources further said that the Prime Minister had assured the ANP delegation that all their genuine concerns about the proposed Local Bodies Ordinance would be addressed as PPP believed in the politics of reconciliation and consensus and would take along all its coalition partners.
According to the press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the Prime Minister said that the government in consultation with its allies would be bringing a constitutional amendment to increase the seats of non-Muslims in National Assembly and the Provincial Assemblies.
He said that it would send a very strong and positive message to the world about the government’s efforts to give voice to the non-Muslim Pakistanis.
The Prime Minister appreciated the support of ANP to uphold the constitution, rule of law and democracy in the country.
The delegation comprised Pir Haider Ali Shah, Istiqbal Khan, Himayat Ullah Maria, Jameela Begum and Khursheed Begum.