IMC council accuses mayor of making LG ‘powerless’

Aziz assures members their suggestions will be acted upon

ISLAMABAD: The session of the Islamabad Municipal Corporation council on Thursday turned on the mayor, holding him responsible for making the local government set up toothless and ineffective.

IMC Council members were discussing a four-point agenda during the 15th meeting of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) at the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre on Thursday.

Intriguingly, fuel for the fire was provided by Mayor Anser Aziz Sheikh’s own party member, Sajid Abbasi, who censured Aziz and the IMC chief officer while approving the minutes the of the last meeting. “It is quite unfortunate that the chief officer only recorded things of his own interest and our important suggestions have been neglected while preparing the minutes,” Abbasi began.

“If you cannot maintain the record then a committee from this house should be constituted to draft the minutes of proceedings,” he demanded.

He soon found support from the opposition benches.

“We are losing the confidence of our voters because we have failed to achieve anything in the past two years because we do not have any funds, offices or even rules of business,” said opposition member Malik Rafique.

“If the system fails then your name will also be recorded as a failed mayor,” he said while pointing towards Mayor Aziz.

Aziz, though, was calm in responding to his critics.

He started by clarifying how his team was trying hard to eke out funds from the federal government and told the house that he had written to the Islamabad Chief Commissioner in this regard.

But the explanation only drew further criticism.

Azhar Hussain from the treasury benches rose up and said that writing a letter to the Islamabad Chief Commissioner for funds was akin to making the IMC powerless. He also waved a file in the house, claiming that he had already submitted evidence of the Union Council secretary’s corruption but no one was interested in taking action against him.

Shiraz Kiani, another council member, accused the Minister of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Mayor Aziz of forming a nexus and that both were enjoying their respective powers without disturbing the other.

Council member Malik Ikhlaq asked why the mayor was unable to protect the interests of the local government when he had the backing of the federal government and ministries.

Cleanliness

Turning to the agenda, Aziz said that they had floated a tender for acquiring modern cleanliness techniques in Islamabad.

“The contract would be awarded after fulfilling all legal requirements and in light of court orders,” Aziz said, adding that once the contract is awarded, modern cleanliness facilities would be available in all union councils of the capital.

The mayor, while placating council members, said that they were trying their best to accommodate the suggestions of all elected members of the house and promised to start work on important and mega projects proposed by elected representatives.

Moreover, the mayor said that they had urged the federal government to release development funds for Islamabad. He told IMC members that all road carpeting, sewerage system, streetlights, installation of new tube wells and up gradation of parks were being carried out by the IMC. Moreover, he said that the fire services were being upgraded with help from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2017.