KARACHI: MQM chief Altaf Hussain said on Thursday that the local government system, being instrumental in resolving the problems of the people, should be continued despite the fact that it was introduced by a dictator.

He was addressing a convention on local bodies, which was attended by a large number of Nazims and councillors from all over the country. According to him, the local governments should not be abandoned on the grounds that it was the brainchild of a dictator. He said the dictator had also held general elections.

“Should the assemblies be dissolved because they came into existence after polls held by the dictator”, he questioned.

He demanded of the prime minister and the president to listen to the Nazims and councillors before deciding the fate of the local bodies. The present LG system is the essence of democracy, he added.

Altaf said the system was useful in providing justice at grassroots level. He urged LG members to continue their campaign to save the system. Those who are opposed to the local governments want the colonial system back, he added.

Former chairman National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) Danyal Aziz, Karachi Nazim Mustafa Kamal, Naib Nazima Nasreen Jalil, MQM’s Coordination Committee Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar and others were also present.

Farooq Sattar said the abolition of the LG system was in violation of the Constitution. According to the MQM leader, the system was so popular that even National Assembly members would contest if LG polls were held.

Danyal Aziz warned that if the local governments were rolled back, its fire would engulf the whole country. He urged the MQM to come forward to save the system.

Later, a resolution was unanimously passed which said that the LG system was useful in resolving the problems of people at grassroots level. It demanded of the president and the prime minister to consider the aspirations of the people before taking any decision on the fate of local bodies.more