ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The PPP said on Thursday that the next local government elections in Sindh would be held in 2027, amid a fresh war of words that has erupted between the party and its main ruling coalition partner \u2014 the PML-N \u2014 over the local government system in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy the grace of Allah Almighty, local government elections will be held for the third time in Sindh in 2027,\u201d senior PPP leader Senator Waqar Mehdi said in a statement issued in response to a recent statement by PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a post on X, Rafique had criticised PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari\u2019s demand for local government elections in Punjab and the federal capital, saying such polls should not be held on the pattern followed in Sindh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said it was Mr Bhutto-Zardari\u2019s rightful demand that LG polls be held soon in Punjab and Islamabad, but not on the pattern of Karachi elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf anyone wants further details about it, they can ask (MQM leader) Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and (Jamaat-i-Islami chief) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senator Mehdi said the PPP had already conducted local government polls in Sindh twice in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPPP has just asked for local government elections in Punjab and the Centre, but you started crying. Don\u2019t be scared and conduct LG polls. Whoever is popular among the people will win,\u201d he said, addressing Rafique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the local government system was successfully delivering in Sindh. \u201cIf you have any better plan, come up with it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Wednesday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, had challenged the ruling PML-N to hold local government elections in Islamabad and Lahore within 90 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He criticised the PML-N over the delay in holding LG polls in Punjab and Islamabad and accused it of attempting to create differences between the PPP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan on the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Bhutto-Zardari said local governments were functioning in provinces under PPP rule, whereas the PML-N was afraid of having local governments in Punjab and Islamabad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey are not even ready to hold a single union council election. I say introduce the same kind of local government system in Lahore that we have in Karachi. Let\u2019s contest the polls,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cI challenge you to hold local government elections in Islamabad within 90 days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr Bhutto-Zardari ask\u00aded the PML-N to show the provinces what powers and financial resources it wan\u00adted to give to local government representatives so that the provinces could follow them as a role model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stating that the PPP had the credit of giving the 1973 Constitution to the country, he announced that his party would hold local government polls in Gilgit-Baltistan within 90 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Sindh Senior Minister and Information, Transport and Mass Transit Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon also reacted to Rafique\u2019s statement, saying the PML-N leader should first hold local government elections in Punjab and give the people of the province their constitutional rights before lecturing other provinces on democratic systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, Memon said that before raising questions about Karachi\u2019s local government system, Rafique should explain to the people why local government elections had not been held in Punjab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said it was surprising that the PML-N, which was reluctant to conduct local government elections in Punjab, was criticising the \u201cdemocratic process\u201d and local government system in Karachi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The senior minister said if local government elections were truly the foundation of democracy, then the people of Punjab should also be given their constitutional right, as the PPP government in Sindh had already provided people with their democratic rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He claimed that local government elections in Karachi were held in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and that the people elected their representatives and the democratic process was completed. Instead of objecting to the people\u2019s decision, Rafique should respect democratic traditions, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Memon insisted that the PPP believed in democratic institutions, an empowered local government system and respect for the public mandate. He said politics based on double standards could not continue for long before the people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The PPP said on Thursday that the next local government elections in Sindh would be held in 2027, amid a fresh war of words that has erupted between the party and its main ruling coalition partner \u2014 the PML-N \u2014 over the local government system in the country. \u201cBy the grace of Allah […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n