Direct elections for mayor under consideration

Interior committee reviews bill against beggary in capital

ISLAMABAD: Senate Special Committee on Islamabad in its meeting on Friday deliberated upon the matter of jurisdiction issues between Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) to suggest a course of action to address the issues. The committee was of the view that most of the issues that have emerged were primarily due to hasty legislation which resulted not only in legal lacuna but also administrative overlaps.

Chairing the meeting Senator Mushahid Hussain said that issues pertaining to Islamabad need to be tackled in a holistic manner, seeking a long-term durable solution, above any partisan considerations. The committee received a detailed briefing from the Special Assistant to PM (SAPM) Ali Ahmed Awan.

“Government is keen to present reforms, including legislation, to resolve issues faced by the people of Islamabad, including a proposal for direct elections for the Mayor of Islamabad,” said MNA Awan who is also the chairman of Islamabad Local Government Commission.

The meeting was attended by member Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem and joint secretary from the Ministry of Interior.

Administrative issues between CDA, IMC

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior in its meeting today on Friday discussed the implementation status of the recommendations of the Committee on Interior, pertaining to administrative, financial and legal issues of CDA and IMC.

The meeting observed that CDA and IMC have failed to resolve their outstanding differences.

Senate Standing Committee on Interior Chairman Senator Abdul Rehman Malik directed both the organisations to implement the recommendation of the committee which have already been sent to the Ministry of Interior.

He said that it was directed that the CDA employees shall continue their services on attachment basis under the administrative control of IMC. However, the status of employees will remains as CDA employees and their services are to be governed under the CDA Service Regulations, 1992 till their retirement.

He said that the disputes were affecting efficiency and performance of CDA and IMC and because of which the residents of Islamabad were suffering.

Discouraging beggary

Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh moved the Islamabad Prevention of Beggary Bill, 2019 and The Islamabad Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2020.

Senator Rehman Malik discussing the Islamabad Prevention of Beggary Bill, 2019, said a clause against forced deformities must be added in the legislation.

He said that it was highly condemnable that little children were deformed by putting iron rings and caps around their head to make them abnormal for the malicious purpose of begging.

A section must be introduced to deal with mafia involved in the child trade for begging purposes. “It is alarming that children in our country are growing under such a vulnerable environment that on every traffic signal, markets, parks, hospitals and other public places, one finds dozens of them roaming and begging,” he said.

He directed the Ministry of Interior and Islamabad administration to launch a crackdown on beggers and instead of sending them to lock ups, the children should be sent to the Child Protection Centres. He also directed that child beggars should be provided with good food and proper education.

The meeting was attended by senators Javed Abbasi, Tahir Bizenjo, Ateeq Shaikh, Kalsoom Parveen and Bahramand Tangi as special invitee. The meeting was also attended by senior officers from the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Ministry of Interior, National Institute of Health, FIA, CDA along with all concerned.

Appointments in PIMS

The Senate Implementation Committee in its meeting on Friday decided to summon Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza and Health Secretary in the next meeting to explain number of posts lying vacant in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and doctors being given dual charge.

Senator Dilawar Khan, chairing the meeting held at the Parliament House, said that replacement should be appointed as soon as a doctor retires. He said that patients were made to wait for years for operations due to shortage of doctors in public hospitals of the federal capital.

The meeting also reviewed the issue raised by Senator Hidayatullah on the alleged injustice of by Federal Public Service Commission with a doctor posted on Bajaur domicile.

Summer vacation fee

The meeting reviewed the issue of public importance which was raised by Senator Manzoor Kakar in the meeting of the upper house on April 26, 2019, in connection with the tuition fees by private educational institutions during the holidays.

Private Education Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) Chairperson Zia Batool told the committee that the directives issued to private schools as a result of the Supreme Court decision on May 9, 2019 were challenged by the Private Schools Association in Islamabad High Court (IHC), which issued its verdict on Feb 28, 2020.

IHC had barred private schools from increasing fee without permission of their regulatory body, PEIRA, she said.

In light of IHC order, the authority was collecting data of all 1,560 private schools in the capital, Batool said.

The meeting of the committee was attended by senators Naseebullah Bazai, Rana Mahmoodul Hassan and Muhammad Ayub, besides Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Azam Khan Swati and other senior officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2020.