ISLAMABAD: The term of the only functional local government, which happens to be in the federal capital, is set to expire on Feb 14.

This will bring to an end the brief stint of around six weeks in office of Pir Adil Shah Gilani, who had been notified as returned candidate in the elections for the office of the mayor on Dec 31, 2020, following the surprise resignation of Sheikh Anser Aziz in October.

A senior official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told Dawn that the local government elections in the capital territory were held on Nov 30, 2015.

He said under Section 29 (1) of the Islamabad Local Government Act, the five-year term of the local government commenced the day it held its first meeting. He said the first meeting took place on Feb 15, 2016.

Administrator may be appointed until new LG assumes office, says official

He said under Section 29(3) of the Act, on the expiry of the term of a local government, the government may appoint an administrator to perform the functions of the local government until the elected local government assumes office, which period shall not exceed six months.

He said in order to carry out delimitation in the federal capital, correspondence had been made with the government for provision of the updated local government Act, rules, relevant notifications and maps.

He said a joint secretary at the Ministry of Interior informed the ECP on Feb 2 that a letter had already been written to the chief commissioner Islamabad for provision of the requisite information to the field office of the commission.

With regard to the delimitation on the basis of provisional results of the population census 2017, he said Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015 does not provide for carrying out delimitation on the basis of the provisional results of the census 2017.

He said a meeting of the ECP on Feb 11 will take up the matter related to the LG polls in Islamabad. He said notices were being issued to the federal government through the attorney general for Pakistan and the secretary Inter-Provincial Coordination to assist the commission on the issue.

The incumbent mayor will hold the office under the provisions of the law only for the unexpired portion of his predecessor.

In 2015, a specific law was enacted for the first time by parliament to establish the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

But the experience of MCI has not gone down well as an unending dispute persisted between the mayor and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) over distribution of powers.

Because of this tug of war, the IMC was not able to live up to the expectations attached to it.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2021