RMC delimitation finalised for LB polls
A file photo of RMC offices
The delimitation for the Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) has been finalised under the second phase of local bodies elections in Punjab.
The RMC will have a total of 98 neighbourhood councils, which include the National Assembly constituency NA-62, Chaklala Cantonment Board areas in the NA-60 constituency and 15 Union Councils (UC) of the NA-59 constituency.
The mayors of all metropolitan corporations across Punjab will be elected by direct votes in their respective constituencies while the deputy mayor and members of the RMC will be nominated by the mayor and the proportion of votes received by the second and third place candidates for which political parties or groups will provide lists of their candidates.
On the other hand, each neighbourhood council will be comprised of a population ranging between 18,000 and 22,000.
With the finalisation of the delimitation of 98 neighbourhood councils of the RMC, prospective candidates have started their political activities.
Local bodies elections are expected to be held in the Rawalpindi district in July.
A formal gazette notification has already been issued for the establishment of a new local government (LG) structure in Punjab. A total of 11 metropolitan corporations and 35 district councils have been established while deputy commissioners and additional deputy commissioners have been appointed as administrators. Before the implementation of the new administrative structure, old town committees, municipal committees and municipal corporations have been dissolved.
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According to the gazette notification issued by the Punjab Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department regarding the Local Government Community Development Department, there will be 11 metropolitan corporations at the divisional headquarters of Punjab. Those are Lahore, Sialkot, Gujarat, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal and Sargodha.
While in 35 district councils, Sialkot, Gujarat, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Attock, Bahawalnagar, Bhakkar, Chakwal, Chiniot, Hafizabad, Jhang, Jhelum, Kasur, Khanewal, Khoshab. Layyah, Lodhran, Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Okara, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Sheikhupura, Toba Tek Singh and Vehari are included.
Tough competition among the candidates is expected in the Rawalpindi district.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami candidates will have neck and neck contests in the election.
All four parties will go to great lengths to secure the seat of the RMC mayor.
Former PML-N mayor, Sardar Naseem Khan, Sajjad Khan, Sheikh Arsalan Hafeez and Zia will run for the mayorship of the garrison city in the party-based local body elections.
Allah Shah (former MPA) PTI and Awami Muslim League's Arif Abbasi (former MPA), Sheikh Rashid Shafiq (MNA), Shehryar Riaz (former MPA) PPP's Babar Sultan Jadoon, Malik Anjum Farooq Paracha Raja Altaf Hussain (Former Deputy Mayor), Mian Khurram Rasool, Raza Ahmad Shah of Jamaat-e-Islami are the expected candidates for the mayor’s slot.
These candidates have started election campaigns by socialising with the people of the constituency on different occasions. In the new local government system, the mayoral candidate will have to be elected by direct votes.
Opposition parties in Rawalpindi also opened the option of forming electoral alliances between them for victory in the upcoming election.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2022.