KARACHI: Jamaat Islami (JI) has challenged amendments in the Sindh Local Government (LG) law allowing a non-elected person to elect as mayor or chairman, in Sindh High Court (SHC).
Siraj-led JI, the second largest group in Karachi City Council, has challenged the recent amendments in the municipal law in the provincial high court. The party has petitioned to the court that the local elections were held under the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 and the elected persons vying for chairmen and mayors slots sworn in under the same law.
“An amended law has been passed to facilitate election of unelected persons as chairmen and mayor without taking in account their eligibility,” JI pleaded. “Under the spirit of the local councils law, a mayor should be taken from the elected representatives,” it argued.
JI has pleaded to the court to declare the May 24 notification of recent amendment in the law as unlawful. Sindh Assembly passed key amendment in the Local Government Act also backed by the MQM and GDA members in May, allowing the mayor to get elected on a local council seat within six months after the election.
Provincial Minister Nasir Shah said that the amendment allows six months to the mayor for getting elected on the local council seat as per the rule allowing a federal minister.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had emerged as the largest party in the city council elections, having 155 seats with JI having 130 members in the house. However, the PTI, the third largest party in the council has extended its support to JI candidate for mayor, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman. The PTI support provides simple majority to JI to get its mayor elected.
However, after May 9 incidents, a shadow of uncertainty is hovering over the fate of PTI members, facing charges in violent incidents during the party’s protest and also their political course of action in the future.
