LG system in Sindh
Posted on August 11, 2011

Against the wishes and aspirations of five crore Sindhis, the controversial Local Government System has been imposed in Sindh province. The intellectuals, writers, activists, artists and even a man in the street are protesting against this system. A successful strike and shutter down throughout the province on Monday must serve as an eye opener for our myopic rulers.Rationally speaking, this system in question could not bring any positive change to the people of Sindh province who have suffered a lot at the hands of Nazims and Naib Nazims.In the truest sense, the LG system in the province proved to be a ruthless and corrupt. This system criminalized the Sindhi society. The progress and development was blocked. Only selected sections and areas were developed. There was much more focus on non-productive schemes and projects. This system upset the spiritual, social and intellectual development in Sindhi society. Mentally retarded men were made Nazims and Naib Nazims in the province. There was complete social and political repression of the vast majority of people of Sindh. Consequently, people grew frustrated and ventilated anger even during the dictatorial days at the proper forums but there was no one to address their grievances.This system has become so much hateful in the eyes of the people of Sindh, one can imagine from the complete strike and shutter down in the province. Now with every passing day disgust is deepening and repulsion is rising against the re-imposed LG System. In certain segments in the Sindhi society, President Zadari was revered as a symbol of resistance but this one anti–people decision has made him “persona non grata” for the people of the province.This imposition of the Local Government system again in the province is, indeed, a massive “setback” for Pakistan People’s Party in the province.My professor of Political Science and Law who used to say, “For a visionary leader it is always important to understand psyche of the people. He must also explain to the people whenever he takes such tough and unpopular decisions.” Had the President and his team tried to appreciate innate psyche of Sindhi people, they would have, first of all not taken such irrational and disruptive decision, to cease and rollback it.The people of Sindh are unique in their love and hate. If they love anyone then they love unconditionally and to the extreme and when they are compelled to hate anybody then they also hate to the extreme. Second, they can sacrify their lives but they have not learnt to cheat three things: One is their Mother (they call it Jeejal), the second is their Motherland (they call it Jeejal Sindh) and the third is their Murshid (every Sindhi considers Shah Laif as his Murshid). All the afore-mentioned three things have taught them the meaning of courage, tenacity, love, joy and human harmony. Politically speaking, ill-advice of myopic men has caused irreparable damage to the person and political standing of President Zardari because of this hasty decision. It has, indeed, deflated the value of PPP in the eyes of its voters and sympathizers and destroyed the growing image of the President in and abroad.In order to avert such catastrophic consequences, the President is requested to pay heed to the following few viable submissions:First, a radical shake-up is ‘sine qua non’ in the comity of counselors and advisers who always tender such advice which becomes a source of infamy and embarrassment for the President himself and his party; Second, advise the Prime Minister to direct the audit and accountability of the past Nazims and Naib Nazims who looted billions of rupees during Musharraf regime and did nothing substantial things but only gaudy and cosmetic things. Third, even after the imposition of controversial LG System in the province, peace and normalcy is not brought back to the province, particular Karachi. Mr President life is more than power, pelf and Presidency, your government has utterly disappointed the people of Pakistan and grieved the people of Sindh but the Sindhis are like a lush green and shade giving tree —- the woodcutters come and try to cut its branches but the tree never stops giving shade —- so the Sindhis will again shower you with compassion and mercy if your government starts delivering and takes urgent steps to console the people of Sindh who did not expect such a decision from a person of your stature, address their genuine grievances becasue in such a strategy lies your own future and that of your party. Otherwise, this decision has dismal realities.

Hashim Abro

Islamabad

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still searching for my soul..............