The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Wednesday demanded that local governments be given autonomy in the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.
After the PPP revealed key features of the proposed amendment for which the government sought its support, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar yesterday said legislation for the adjustments would soon be tabled in Parliament.
MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar presented his party’s demand at a press conference in Islamabad today along with party leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
“The important thing that we also said at the time of the 26th Amendment is that our package of constitutional amendments be included,” he said, referring to his agreement with the PML-N to empower local governments.
“But it didn’t happen,” Sattar lamented.
He stated that after provincial autonomy was granted under the 18th Amendment in 2010, “the next step, naturally, is local autonomy, so its turn must come.”
“This should also be included in the 27th Amendment,” the MQM-P leader added.
The politician maintained that it was necessary to modify article 140A of the Constitution so that the laws enacted by local governments did not contradict it.
More to follow
