IHC maintains freeze on IMC funds

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought a written reply from Local Government Commission chairman and other respondents in a case pertaining to a delegation of financial and administrative powers to Islamabad mayor and local bodies.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani hearing the petition filed by Mayor Ansar Aziz upheld the order to freeze the development funds of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC). The court also upheld the stay order against the proposal of LGC to suspend the mayor.

Prime Minister's Special Assistant for CDA Affairs and LGC Chairman Ali Nawaz Awan, CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed, and Mayor Aziz appeared before the court.

Ahmed took the stance that IMC has already taken a loan of up to Rs19 billion from CDA. Salaries of IMC employees were being paid from CDA’s account, he said.

He said CDA or Islamabad administration had nothing to do with the municipal affairs. The city administration gets a budget from the federal government.

Justice Kayani inquired whether IMC has the authority to collect taxes on which CDA chairman said that as a metropolitan corporation, it was authorised and was collect the taxes and MCI is collecting the taxes.

He asked the mayor whether CDA was intruding in IMC jurisdiction. Counsel of applicant replied that constitutionally CDA and MCI were separate institution.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2020.