KARACHI: Amid opposition uproar, the Sindh Assembly on Monday amended the local government law with a majority vote, allowing incumbent mayors and district chairmen to continue as administrators even after their terms in office end.

With its majority in the house, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) managed to pass the Sindh Local Government Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 amid loud sloganeering and uproar by opposition members, who staged a strong protest, tearing copies of the bill inside the house.

The ruckus started immediately after Question Hour as Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar rose to seek the chair’s permission to present the report of the special committee constituted to examine the proposed amendments.

Members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-i-Islam (JI) rose, rejecting the special committee report and converging in front of the podium chanting slogans against the government.

Bill allows mayors, chairmen to continue as administrators after expiry of their terms until successors take charge; Muttahida, PTI and JI reject legislation, vow to move courts

As the minister was presenting the bill, opposition members resorted to heavy protest and tore copies of the bill. Despite the disruption, the treasury benches voted in favour, and the bill was passed.

Following the passage, the speaker adjourned the session till 3pm on Tuesday.

The amendment introduces several major changes to the existing municipal laws.

Under the new law, the mayors and UC chairmen will assume the powers of administrators upon expiry of the terms of the City Councils and will continue to work until the newly elected mayors and chairmen take charge.

The deputy mayors and vice chairmen have been designated as conveners of the council and will be empowered to preside over its meetings.

The bill now gives UC chairmen the power to identify illegal constructions and report them to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).

‘Political authoritarianism prevailing in the house’

Later, addressing the reporters at the Media Corner on the premises of the assembly, the three opposition parties strongly rejected the Bill passed by the assembly, terming it an act of “political authoritarianism” and “anti-democracy.”

Opposition lawmakers vowed to challenge the law on legal and political forums.

Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Ali Khurshidi said that political authoritarianism was prevailing in the house. “All other business was set aside, and this bill was passed all of a sudden,” he added.

Mr Khurshidi said that all political parties had rejected this bill inside and outside the parliament.

MQM-P MPA Iftikhar Alam said that their stance was not heard despite the apex court’s judgment that powers should be devolved to the grassroots level. “We protested in the committee and today in the house as well. MQM-P rejects this bill,” he said.

PTI Parliamentary Party Leader Shabbir Qureshi condemned the bill, alleging that Murtaza Wahab was imposed as mayor on them through horse-trading in 2023. “If the same people come again, suspicion of rigging will turn into certainty,” he said.

JI’s Muhammad Farooq said that the new local government law stripped chairmen of their powers, while the constitution vested authority in them.

“After the 18th Amendment, the provincial government has kept all powers to itself. The amendment I proposed was ignored. This bill does not protect the people, so we reject it,” he said. He announced that JI would challenge the bill in court.

Later, speaking at the Media Corner, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar defended the passage of the bill, accusing MQM-P of disrupting the house.

Mr Memon said that the MQM had upheld its old tradition of creating a rumpus in the house. “The government could have brought the bill for local bodies directly, but the law minister sought the speaker’s permission and formed a parliamentary committee on the draft law,” he said.

The senior minister alleged that MQM-P had boycotted the last local government elections because it was aware of ground realities and feared public rejection. “They knew they did not have public support,” he said.

He said that the special committee had held detailed discussions on every section of the bill.

The law minister said that the opposition could have boycotted the bill if they had objections. “Detailed discussion was held on every section,” he said, adding that the provincial government was giving powers to local representatives.

He explained the new timeline for local government elections: “120 days before the completion of the term of local bodies, the Sindh government will write to the Election Commission that the term is ending, so please prepare for elections. “They [opposition] demanded that it be 90 days. We said we would make it 120 days,” he added.

He further said that MQM-P should have raised its objections during consultations. “If MQM had an objection, they should have raised it during consultation,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2026