PSP ends sit-in after negotiations with Sindh govt succeed

• Nasir Shah says "eventually Mustafa Kamal has won" as Sindh govt has agreed on PSP’s demand. 
• PSP leader Mustafa Kamal clarifies he has not ended the sit-in but is postponing it till Feb 18.
• Sources say Sindh govt and PSP have agreed on provincial finance commission.

Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) announced to end their five-day long sit-in late Friday night after the Sindh government agreed to meet PSP chief Mustafa Kamal’s demand on Sindh Local Government Act 2021, Geo News reported.

The PSP on Saturday (January 29) announced to stage a sit-in against the Sindh Local Government Act 2021, two days after the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) had ended its 29-day-long dharna over the same law.

Sindh Local Bodies Minister Nasir Hussain Shah addressed the party workers present at PSP sit-in and announced that "eventually Mustafa Kamal has won and the Sindh government has agreed on PSP’s demand in connection with local government law."

PSP chief Mustafa Kamal, however, said that he has not ended the sit-in; the party has decided to postpone it till February 18.

"I have informed Nasir Shah that legislation will be done during February 11-18 regarding the Local Government Act and it will be presented in the provincial assembly," he added.

According to the sources, the Sindh government and PSP have agreed on provincial finance commission while dialogues will continue to name Metropolitan Corporation as city government.

It is pertinent to mention here that the JI had also staged a sit-in outside Sindh Assembly on Local Government Act but announced to call off the sit-in after almost a month in Karachi as negotiations with the Sindh government succeeded.

Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021

The Sindh Assembly in November unanimously passed the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

According to the new bill, the Sindh government will take over the management of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Sobhraj Hospital, Leprosy Centre, and Sarfraz Rafiqi Hospital, along with the management of Medical and Dental College which previously fell under Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). 

Meanwhile, the control of education and health departments will also be taken away from the local bodies.

The Department of Births and Deaths and Infectious Diseases was withdrawn from the local bodies.

There will be a system of corporations and towns in major cities of Sindh, including Karachi, while the vice-chairman of union committees will be members of the town municipal council. 

Meanwhile, the mayor and deputy mayor will be elected from among the members of the town municipal council.

With a population of at least five million people, there will be a metropolitan corporation and the term of local government representatives will be four years.