KARACHI (Dunya News) - The Sindh Assembly on Monday passed the Sindh Local Government Act 2026 by a majority vote amid strong protests and slogan chanting by opposition lawmakers.
Sindh Law Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar presented the legislation containing amendments to the province’s local government laws during the assembly session.
Opposition members strongly protested against the bill and chanted slogans in the House. Some lawmakers tore up copies of the legislation in protest.
Despite the commotion, voting on the bill proceeded and the provincial assembly approved the legislation by a majority vote.
Following the passage of the bill, the assembly session was adjourned until 3pm on Tuesday.
Opposition parties later rejected the legislation and announced plans to challenge it in court.
Opposition lawmaker Shabbir Qureshi said his side rejected the local government legislation. Referring to the 2023 mayoral election, he alleged that Murtaza Wahab had been brought to office through horse-trading and warned that any repetition of such practices would reinforce opposition allegations of electoral manipulation.
Jamaat-i-Islami lawmaker Muhammad Farooq criticised the legislation, arguing that it failed to provide adequate powers to local governments.
He said that despite the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the provincial government had retained powers that should have been devolved to elected local bodies.
Farooq also objected to a provision concerning the appointment of political administrators when elections are not held, describing such an arrangement as contrary to democratic principles.
He said PTI, Jamaat-i-Islami and MQM had opposed the bill and announced that JI would challenge the legislation in court.
MQM opposition leader Ali Khurshidi also criticised the manner in which the legislation was passed, accusing the provincial government of adopting an authoritarian approach.
He alleged that other assembly business had been set aside to secure the bill's passage and claimed that opposition parties inside and outside the legislature rejected the legislation.
Khurshidi also referred to a Supreme Court ruling concerning local government powers and alleged that the new legislation conflicted with the principles laid down in that judgment.
The opposition leader accused the provincial government of using its numerical majority to push through controversial changes despite objections from other parties.
The Sindh government secured passage of the legislation through its majority in the provincial assembly, while opposition parties indicated that the political and legal dispute over the amendments would now continue outside the House.