Pakistan’s Pak Sarzameen Party to hold protests
The Pakistani PSP party will hold historic protests in Karachi against the Sindh Local Government Bill-2021 (LG) enacted in November of 2021.
The law, labeled a “black law” by its critics, reconstitutes Pakistan’s Sindh province—including Sindh’s capital, Karachi—into townships controlled by municipal councils. It also delegates authority over public services like water, roads, transportation, hospitals and education centers to the Sindh provincial government. Pakistani opposition party, the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) believes that the new law gives the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) overt influence over the townships’ municipal resources.
Today’s protests will see PSP members gather in front of the Sindh Chief Minister House, calling for the rescindment of the LG bill.
Protests over the bill have been ongoing for the past few weeks, but no progress has been made to address the issues. The PSP believes that PPP control over public resources recreates the factors that led to the establishment of an East Pakistan in 1955. The PSP has ramped up violent rhetoric and created a narrative of existential crisis that is resonating with the local population and will likely cause protests to devolve into violence if the PPP does not effectively address concerns over central control of public resources.
Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.
