Senate body mulls capital LG bill

It has five days to submit reservations before house can decide on vote

ISLAMABAD:

A senate committee on Thursday formed a subcommittee to discuss the proposed Islamabad local government bill and submit a report within five days.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control debated the bill for the first time since it was referred to the panel on April 16.

The bill was approved by the National Assembly on March 26.

The subcommittee is scheduled to submit its final report — containing suggestions and amendments, if any — before June 11. Depending on the contents of the report, the bill could be tabled for a vote soon after.

The committee met here at Parliament House with Senator Rehman Malik in the chair. Islamabad Chief Commissioner Zulfiqar Haider briefed the committee on bill.

Members of the subcommittee have been directed to submit their reservations or written suggestions over provisions of the bill within five days so they can be discussed further prior to finalisation.

Some of the members of the committee raised questions about possible delays in the passage of the bill, as local government elections are scheduled to be held on July 27, according to a written assurance that the Election Commission of Pakistan submitted to the Supreme Court.

Reservations were expressed in the backdrop of lengthy procedures involving passage of the bill, as after passage through the committee, it would be tabled before the Senate, and if the Senate approves the bill with amendments, it would be referred back to the National Assembly for a fresh vote. Pending NA approval, it would then require formal endorsement from the President of Pakistan.

Addressing the reservations, the Islamabad chief commissioner informed the committee that the Supreme Court had clearly directed that the draft bill, in its current form, should be treated as a law under special circumstances.

This direction was given by the court to ensure local government elections in Islamabad are held under the given timeframe.

The committee decided that local lawmakers would be included to the subcommittee to discuss the bill. The committee members also questioned the future role and mandate of the Capital Development Authority after devolution of its main powers and functions to elected representatives of the citizens of Islamabad.

The Islamabad chief commissioner said the metropolitan corporation to be formed under local government would have 33 per cent representation of women. However, he said, election of women representatives “would be complicated” as it was not explicitly mentioned in the proposed bill.

The Ministry of Interior has already notified some 79 union councils (UCs) in Islamabad.

Residents would directly elect 1,027 members for the proposed 79 UCs. The councils will include 158 women representatives, and 79 each for ‘peasants’, youth, and non-Muslims.

After the UCs elections, 79 UC chairmen, 26 women representative,; four representatives each for peasants, youth, and non-Muslims, and one technocrat will form the 118-member metropolitan corporation.

The Election Commission of Pakistan is already carrying out delimitation of constituencies.

It would be the first time that local government elections will be held in urban areas of Islamabad. The last local government elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) were held in 1992, and only in rural areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2015.