ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday will appoint an administrator for running the affairs of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), which is going to complete its five-year term on Feb 15.

The cabinet, which is slated to meet on Tuesday (tomorrow), will give approval for the appointment of the administrator for the MCI and its 50 union councils.

During its five-year term, the MCI failed to deliver as neither the PML-N nor the PTI governments showed any interest to practically own the MCI formed in 2016 following the first ever local government elections in Islamabad in Nov 2015.

The mayor and three deputy mayors elected by the MCI members belong to the PML-N.

On the other hand, the first ever elected mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz kept enjoying perks and privileges for over four years before tendering his resignation in Oct last year. The PML-N retained the seat as Pir Adil Gillani of the party was elected to the seat recently.

However, the residents of Islamabad could not get any relief from the local government system due to non-serious approach of the government and the MCI members besides hurdles created by the bureaucracy.

Interestingly, the MCI members belonging to both the PML-N and the PTI in their last session got a resolution approved for honorarium for themselves worth millions of rupees. Sources said now they were trying to get their honorarium of entire five years before the expiry of the tenure of the local government.

Throughout its tenure, the MCI officials said their business and financial rules were incomplete that’s why the MCI could not spend funds it collected through Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA).

Deputy Mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi said due to weak Local Government Act 2015, the MCI could not deliver.

“During the five-year term we remained busy in dividing assets and manpower among MCI, CDA and the capital administration,” he said and added that before the new elections the government should amend the Act to clearly define the role of the local government.

Meanwhile, an official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the administrator will be appointed for four months by the federal government and in the meanwhile the ECP will conduct fresh delimitation of the union councils.

He said the ECP will hold the new elections in four months. Sources in the MCI said there were less chances of new local government elections anytime soon, adding last time too the government was not willing to hold the LG elections in Islamabad but due to the directive of Supreme Court, the government had to hold the elections.

“Despite making several announcements, the government has failed to hold local government elections in provinces. So I don’t think they will hold the elections in Islamabad anytime soon,” said a member of the MCI.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2021