12-member panel to examine bill: Sindh PA introduces LG (Amend) Bill
KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday introduced the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2026 and formed a 12-member parliamentary committee to examine it and submit its report in the house within a week.
The house also approved amendments to the Sindh Excise Act and the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 and took up several call-attention notices on public issues. The session began its business with Deputy Speaker Naveed Anthony in chair. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar sought permission for Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Qasim Siraj Soomro to introduce the local government bill, which was granted. The proposed amendments to the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 provide that mayors and chairmen will continue as administrators after their terms expire if local government elections are not held.
Under the bill, deputy mayors and vice chairmen will act as conveners of their councils and preside over their meetings. The process for local government elections will begin 120 days before a council’s term expires. A no-confidence motion against a chairman or vice chairman will require a two-thirds majority. The bill also proposes an accountability mechanism for directly elected representatives.
The Metropolitan Commissioner will serve as chief executive of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, while reconciliation forums will be established at union, municipal and town levels to resolve community disputes. The forums will include the local SHO and union council chairman, with the SHO required to coordinate with the chairman. The parliamentary committee includes Lanjar and members of the government and opposition parliamentary parties.
The house later approved the Sindh Excise (Amendment) Bill 2026 and an amendment to the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965, both moved by the law minister. Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla said the motor vehicle amendment would benefit car dealers. Previously, vehicles not registered within one month attracted a fine. Under the amendment, vehicles kept at showrooms will not face a fine for up to six months. The penalty may apply once a vehicle comes onto the road.
During call-attention notices, Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Muhammad Farooq said open storm-water drains in Shah Faisal Colony and Green Town posed a safety risk and remained clogged with garbage. Qasim Siraj Soomro said the KMC was responsible for the drains and had repaired some sections. The remaining portions would also be repaired, he said.
MQM’s Amir Siddiqui complained about garbage outside Jamia Banuria, saying assembly members had to repeatedly request authorities to remove waste and that even letters to the managing director of the Solid Waste Management Board received no response. Soomro responded that the government had urged MQM members to participate in local government elections but they had stayed away. He said the Sindh government regularly released funds to elected local government representatives.
Muhammad Waseem of the MQM raised water shortages in his constituency and said Karachi as a whole was facing a serious water crisis. Soomro said officials would brief Waseem on the issue, adding that Karachi’s water shortage could not be resolved until the K-IV project was completed. PPP lawmaker Saadia Javed objected to remarks allegedly made by Opposition Leader Ali Khurshedi about women lawmakers’ dress, saying they were inappropriate and should be withdrawn.
Khurshedi said he regarded women members on both sides of the house as his sisters and had no hesitation in apologizing if his words had hurt them. He clarified that his remarks were aimed not at women lawmakers but at members who made videos inside the assembly.
During question hour on the Labour Department, Labour Minister Saeed Ghani said officials acted immediately when industrial accidents occurred rather than waiting for employers to report them. He said more than 9,000 children were studying in department-run schools. The government had replaced the earlier system of providing uniforms and shoes with direct payments of Rs10,000 to workers’ children.
Ghani said workers would also be sent for Haj this year, noting that this had not been done by the previous secretary. He said factories often underreported their workforce, and the government was considering measures to improve registration. He acknowledged that the labour card system had not been fully implemented and said an agreement had been signed with Nadra for issuing labour cards.
Funds received by the Workers Welfare Board and Social Security institutions had no connection with the NFC, he said. On HIV cases involving children, Ghani said action had been taken against all officers responsible for negligence and final show-cause notices had been issued. An endowment fund had also been established, while affected children and their families were receiving treatment at government expense.
Senior Minister and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the Sindh government had taken several measures over the past two to three years to improve public transport and road safety. He said CNG and LPG kits had been banned in small vans and similar vehicles to reduce the risk of accidents. Fitness certificates had been made mandatory, while digital fitness certificates and route permits had also been introduced.
A third-party liability insurance system had been launched to ensure accident victims received compensation, he said. Addressing Karachi’s traffic congestion, Memon said routes of buses travelling to Taj Complex, Saddar and Cantonment had been changed to reduce pressure on the city’s roads. A free shuttle service was introduced for passengers travelling from Taj Complex, Cantonment and other points and remained operational. The service was also available to passengers travelling from Karachi to other cities, he said, adding that although it was costly, the initiative should be appreciated. The assembly was later adjourned until 3pm on Friday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026