KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has granted time till May 25, as a last chance, to the advocate general of Sindh to file comments on behalf of the provincial authorities on petitions filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and the Jamaat-i-Islami against the Local Government (Amendment) Act 2021.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha cautioned the Sindh government top law of ficer that the court might be constrained to pass an order, it deem appropriate after hearing arguments from the petitioner`s counsel, if he failed to file provincial authorities` comments till the next hearing.

The bench passed these directives while hearing identical petitions separately filed by the MQM-P and the JI Karachi chief.

An assistant advocate general requested for more time to file comments.

On the last date, the bench had granted time till April 28 on request of the law of ficer on behalf of the respondents.

Expressing displeasure over failure of the provincial law of ficer in filing comments of the provincial government, the bench members remarked that apparently it seemed that the provincial government was employing delaying tactics.

The judge recalled that time was already granted to the law officer on the previous date, as a last chance, for filing comments. However, it seemed as if the advocate general too was least interested in the matter, they added.

Granting request, the bench members allowed time to the assistant advocate general till May 25, as a last chance, to file comments.

MQM-P deputy convener Kanwar Naveed Jameel, former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar and other party leaders moved the SHC stating that the amendments to Sections 4, 13, 14, 15 of the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 were arbitrary and inconsistent as well as against the election laws, public interest and ultra vires to several provisions of the Constitution.

They stated that the impugned amendments were also against the Feb 1 judgement of the Supreme Court on the empowerment of local government in Sindh and emphasised on Article 140-A of the Constitution to set up local government organisations with meaningful authority.

The counsel for petitioners, Tariq Mansoor, pleaded to declare the amendments unlawful and unconstitutional and sought implementation of the Feb 1 SC judgement handed down on a petition of the MQM-P seeking empowerment and autonomy for LG institutions in Sindh.

JI-Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman had also petitioned the SHC challenging the SLGA, 2021 stating that the impugned amendments were made only to seize the authority of local governments and further reducing their financial autonomy.