TRADING in the currency of the bizarre appears to be the government's favourite thing to do every so often. On Friday, Law Minister Babar Awan appeared to outdo many a whacky suggestion by claiming that Islamabad is to have its own legislative assembly. Perhaps getting carried away while addressing his favourite audience — lawyers — Mr Awan said, “The status of Islamabad is like a small province and, therefore, administratively it cannot be shadowed by any of the provinces. The capital is a separate territory and its residents will soon have their own provincial legislative assembly and a system of self-governance.” For some perspective here, consider how Islamabad is governed at present. The 'urban' areas are run by the Capital Development Authority, fully under the control of bureaucrats. Meanwhile the 'rural' areas are meant to be run as a district with a dozen tehsils, but elections have not been held for a decade, meaning, once again, that it has become the fiefdom of bureaucrats. Where the government has been unable to even hold local government elections, its top legal officer is suggesting a fully-fledged 'provincial assembly' for Islamabad. Unlike New Delhi, which has its own legislative assembly, the Pakistani federal capital has no issues of size or scale justifying its own assembly.
Mr Awan's perplexing assertion has given rise to speculation that perhaps he sees himself as a future 'chief minister', lording it over the very important people who populate the federal capital. Nothing else even begins to adequately explain the reasons behind the bolt-from-the-blue suggestion. Islamabad has some very real problems, and as evidenced by the absence of local body elections for a decade, has a very real democracy deficit. But there is no need for revolutionary ideas. Reactivate the local government first, let the denizens of the capital exert a modicum of control over local affairs and then see what the gaps and loopholes are. And in the meantime, perhaps Mr Awan can find some time to brainstorm about the very real problems that confront Pakistan, from the legal loopholes that allow militants and terrorists to go scot-free to providing ordinary Pakistanis better access to justice.
