KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said on Friday the restoration of local government system in the province was an important step that warranted resolution of problems of the common man.
Felicitating President Asif Ali Zardari, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, ministers from the PPP and MQM, parliamentarians, leaders, workers and masses on the restoration of local government system in Sindh, Hussain observed that the restoration of the LG system would be an important step in the direction of devolution of power to the grass-root level and it would help in furthering harmony and brotherhood among the people of Sindh.
He was talking to Governor Ebad, Chief Minister Qaim Shah and other PPP and MQM leaders on the occasion of the promulgation of the ordinance regarding the restoration of the local government system.
The MQM chief appealed to the coalition partners to support the policy formulated by the government for the welfare of the people of Sindh. He said the rights of the allied parties would also be protected and their reservations would be removed.
He averred that he and President Zardari were determined to stand by each other, saying that Karachi was not only the part of Sindh but also the provincial capital. He exhorted leaders of the PPP and MQM to work together to make Sindh a place of peace and tranquility.
Hussain further said that basic problems of the people should be resolved and a system evolved that did not discriminate between the people. “Crimes should be eliminated from Sindh and the law should be applied universally. Anyone breaking the law should be dealt with irrespective of his political affiliation.”
He praised provincial ministers Pir Mazharul Haque, Agha Siraj Durrani, Sharjeel Memon, Syed Sardar Ahmed, Dr Farooq Sattar, Raza Haroon, Kunwar Naveed, Dr Farogh Naseem, Dr Sagheer, Waseem Aftab and Wasay Jalil for their efforts in the preparation of the draft of the ordinance.
Dr Ebad, Qaim Ali Shah, PPP leaders Owaish Muzaffar, Agha Siraj Durrani, Sharjeel Memon, and MQM leaders Syed Sardar Ahmed and Dr Farooq Sattar also spoke to Hussain and congratulated him on the restoration of the local government system.