Muttahida upbeat as PM Shehbaz orders body on LG tweaks, missing men

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the formation of a committee to advance consultations on a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at strengthening local governments and to address Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) longstanding concerns over its missing workers, with the party expressing rare optimism after years of little movement on these key issues. While MQM-P sees little chance for the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment in the immediate future, the party leaders believe a broad political consensus is emerging in favour of an empowered local government system, including among opposition parties. The party is also encouraged by the prime minister’s assurance that the defence and interior ministries will be engaged on the issue of missing workers, describing it as the most significant progress on the matter in years. A statement issued by the MQM-P said that the fresh progress emerged during a meeting of the party delegation with PM Shehbaz in Islamabad, where several issues ranging from the rights of urban Sindh to the proposed constitutional bill came under discussion. MQM-P delegation meets Shehbaz in Islamabad; urges him to pay greater attention to urban Sindh; requests him to consider appointment of party governor in Sindh The MQM-P delegation, led by party Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and including federal minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and Dr Farooq Sattar, as well as Syed Aminul Haque, met the PM “to discuss key issues concerning urban Sindh and matters of public interest.” “During the meeting, the MQM-P delegation apprised the PM of several important issues, including the recovery of missing party workers, a proposed constitutional bill to empower local governments, the appointment of an MQM-P-nominated governor of Sindh and development packages for urban Sindh,” said the statement. The delegation urged the federal government to take special measures for the development of urban Sindh, improvement of infrastruc