Ministry and CDA oppose LG polls in capital -DAWN


11 April 2005	Monday	01 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

Ministry and CDA oppose LG polls in capital
By Syed Irfan Raza

ISLAMABAD, April 10: The interior ministry and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have opposed the holding of the Local Government (LG) election in Islamabad, terming it unfeasible, a source in Pakistan Muslim League (PML) told Dawn on Sunday. The source said the interior ministry in a summary requested Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to let the present setup continue instead of holding the Local Government election.

However, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) Chairman Daniyal Aziz have recently announced that LG election in Islamabad would be held this year at any cost. The NRB and the interior ministry are stated to be at loggerheads over the holding of the LG polls.

On the other hand, the local leaders of the ruling PML have rolled up their sleeves for the election.

The NRB chief had recently told the National Assembly that Local Government polls in the capital as well as in the cantonments would be held this year.

Like interior ministry, the Capital Development Authority also has some reservations about the installation of a local government in the city.

The CDA has reportedly recommended that, if necessary, the LG polls should be held only in the rural areas of the capital.

The interior ministry opposes LG polls in the capital on

the assumption that the

nazims would not be able to handle the security situation in the capital.

Since Islamabad is the home of top federal officials and foreign diplomats and is usually visited by foreign dignitaries, security is obviously a major concern of the federal government and the interior ministry wants postponement of local polls under this premise, the source said.

With a Local Government setup in place, the control of the CDA and the police will go to the elected nazim rather than the interior ministry and this is stated to be the main reason of opposition to the holding of LG polls by the CDA and the interior ministry, the source said.