NA passes bill on party-less LG polls in Islamabad

Published March 27, 2015
The fate of the bill seems uncertain as opposition parties dominate the Senate and can block its adoption.—AFP/File
The fate of the bill seems uncertain as opposition parties dominate the Senate and can block its adoption.—AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: Reflecting what it had wished for Punjab, the government on Thursday pushed through the National Assembly a bill providing for party-less local government (LG) elections in Islamabad in the face of opposition ridicule.

But the fate of the bill envisaging creation of a metropolitan corporation for the Islamabad Capital Territory, to be elected by members of new union councils, seems uncertain as opposition parties dominate the Senate and can block its adoption there in the present shape.

The government accepted several amendments proposed by the opposition PPP to the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill, such as specifying the minimum representation on the metropolitan corporation for women (33 per cent), peasants/workers, non-Muslims and youth (5pc each) and technocrats (2pc).

Take a look: Nawaz meets Zardari after endorsing Raza Rabbani for Senate chief

But it rejected two key amendments that would have provided for party-nominated candidates, prompting opposition allegations that the ruling PML-N was deviating from the famous charter of democracy it had signed with the PPP in 2006 and retaining the legacy of three military dictators, including General Zia-ul-Haq.

Strangely, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed seemed to take credit for imitating non-party LG elections held by General Zia in 1980s, which were followed by non-party elections to the National and provincial assemblies.

“After all such (party-less) elections were held under Zia-ul-Haq,” he said, provoking protests from PPP benches. Even then he went on advancing what was described by many lawmakers as an apparently hollow argument that allowing political parties to field candidates would deprive residents of a Mohalla, locality or a village of their “fundamental right” to choose an independent candidate of their choice rather than be restrained by parties.

That logic was rejected by PPP lawmaker Nafisa Shah who said that it was actually the government which sought to restrict the people’s right of choice by barring them from choosing between an independent and a party candidate.

But the main onslaught on the ruling party came from Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, Khursheed Ahmed Shah. He said that the PML-N’s rejection of two amendments proposed by the PPP, its previous move to hold party-less LG elections in Punjab, which it ruled, while the three other provinces had opted for party-based polls and the recent abortive attempt to amend the constitution to provide for Senate elections by show of hands showed that the party lacked confidence in itself.

The PML-N’s plans for non-party LG polls in Punjab were foiled by a Lahore High Court ruling in favour of party-based elections.

PPP, MQM WALKOUTS: After the clash between the two main parties, in which Awami National Party’s parliamentary leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour supported the PPP at a much later stage, only about 30 members were left in the house to take part in the vote on the bill after walkouts staged by the PPP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on different grounds.

The PPP protested against police baton-charge on farmers protesting against high prices of agricultural inputs in Lahore on Wednesday. The MQM agitated against an ongoing crackdown “against the party” in Karachi and what a party member, Asif Hasnain, called derogatory remarks made by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan in a speech in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, on Wednesday.

CHANGES IN BENEVOLENT FUND ACT: With one of the poorest attendance of the present session, which began on March 16, the house quickly passed, without any debate, two more government-sponsored bills before being adjourned till Friday.

The bills propose amendments to the Federal Employees Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance Act, 1969. One of them envisages replacement of a member of the fund’s board of trustees from the federal government’s previous labour and manpower division, whose functions had bow been devolved to provinces, with one from its overseas Pakistanis and human resources development division. The other bill seeks to remove the age limit of 70 years for the payment of a monthly benevolent grant to retired employees.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.