KARACHI: The Legal Rights Forum (LRF) convened a high-level consultative meeting at the Sindh Assembly on February 16, 2026, to deliberate on the constitutional, administrative, financial, and political autonomy of local governments. The meeting brought together political leaders, legal experts, civil society representatives, and members of the media.
Among the participants were Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi, Tanoli Qambarani (MPA and Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh), Dr. Fauzia Hameed (MPA), Rubina Brohi, as well as representatives from the Pakistan Bar Council and the Sindh High Court Bar Association Karachi, among other key stakeholders.
The session commenced with opening remarks by LRF Program Manager Shireen Ejaz, who informed participants that the organization had recently submitted a resolution to the assembly seeking the establishment of the Provincial Finance Commission, which was subsequently rejected. She emphasized the need for a unified strategy among stakeholders to advance this critical issue.
LRF CEO Malik Tahir Iqbal presented a roadmap for reforms in the Sindh Local Government Acts in line with Article 140-A of the Constitution. He stressed that leadership of local governments must remain with elected representatives rather than nominated individuals and called for the immediate establishment of the Provincial Finance Commission to ensure financial autonomy for local bodies.
Participants underscored the importance of financial transparency, equitable distribution of funds, timely local government elections, and cross-party collaboration.
In his concluding remarks, Ali Khurshidi called for a collective struggle to ensure effective implementation of Articles 140-A and 148 of the Constitution.
The meeting concluded with consensus among participants to jointly present the proposed amendments in the upcoming assembly session, describing the move as a significant step toward establishing empowered and autonomous local governments in Sindh.
