KARACHI (INP): The Sindh Assembly on Monday approved the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2014 giving the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) the authority to carry out delimitation of constituencies in the province.

The bill was tabled by Sindh’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro and was approved with majority votes.

The authority to carry out delimitation was previously held by the provincial government.

The Sindh Assembly also passed two more resolutions; one to congratulate Malala Yousafzai for winning the Nobel peace prize and the other to felicitate Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for holding a successful rally in Karachi on October 18.

Earlier during the day, the Supreme Court had given the Sindh and Punjab governments until October 30 to complete the legislative process authorising the ECP to carry out delimitation for LG polls. Previously, the apex court had warned that the provincial chief minister would be held responsible if required amendments were not made within the stipulated time.

Moreover, members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the party which pulled itself out of the province’s coalition government a day earlier, boycotted the assembly session after they had requested Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani to allot opposition benches to MQM lawmakers.

The walkout was preceded by fiery speeches from Khawaja Izharul Hasan of the MQM who was critical of the PPP leadership and Sharjeel Inam Memon of the PPP who had responded to Hasan’s criticism.