ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: While the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order to hold local government elections in the federal capital is welcome news for the citizens, it begs the question what the new system will be and how it will work and entails the prospect of turf battles all around.

According to an officer of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, proposals of local government elections have been discussed for the last 30 years but could not be implemented because of the monopoly of the bureaucracy over Rs30 billion resources which will go to the elected representative of the government.

“Decision makers wanted to have direct control over the resources so they put the main areas of the city under the control of the CDA and rural areas of the city were handed over to the ICT administration,” he said.

At present the rural areas of the city have 20 union councils of Rawat, Humak, Sihala, Koral, Khana, Tarlai Kalan, Cherah, Kirpa, Tumar, Bhara Kahu, Phulgran, Malpur, Noorpur Shahan, Kuri, Rawal Town, Sohan, Golra, Shah Allah Ditta, Jhangi Syedan and Tarnol. They are under the control of ICT administration.

An officer of district administration said as the Zia regime did not want to have political activities in the federal capital, it put on hold union councils elections.

“During Musharraf regime, the interior ministry decided to divide Islamabad into 40 UCs (26 urban and 14 rural) but could not implement its decision.

But the decision of the Islamabad High Court has paved the way for establishment of local government setup in the capital.“There are no major legal issues involved. The parliament has to amend the 1979 Ordinance through simple majority to extend the union council system to the urban areas of the city,” the Islamabad High Court lawyer, Imtiaz Chaudhry, told Dawn.

At present the union council system is working only in the rural part of the city which is governed by the ICT administration while the urban areas are administered by the CDA where no union council exists, he explained.

Imtiaz Chaudhry insisted: “Had there been legal issues involved, the Islamabad High Court would not have given the directions.”

However, the Islamabad High Court Bar president, Nayyab Gardezi, said the federal government could hold local government elections any time under the Local Government Ordinance 1979. “It does not require amending the ordinance in this regard,” he added.

He explained each union council would elect its chairman. “The chairmen of union councils will then elect a chairman, Rabta (coordination) Council, who will act as mayor or nazim,” Mr Gardezi added.

“The chairman Rabta Council will then allocate development funds to each union council and manage their development activity since he will also have the powers of arbitration,” said the lawyer.

The chairman Rabta council has powers similar to that of a family judge and he can resolve family disputes, he added.

Former chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau Danyal Aziz, when asked to comment, said there were no major legal issues attached to the high court decision.

He said the capital enjoyed the status of a province and required a local government system.

An officer of the CDA, requesting not to be identified, said if local government system was introduced, an elected body would replace the commissionerate system, and people will have a say in city issues.

“Police departments will be placed under the elected body,” he said, adding that the new system will discourage land grabbing and have a check on the powers of tehsildar and patwaris.

The CDA spokesman, Ramzan Sajid, said the authority was not a decision-making body. Every decision of the government will be implemented in its true sprit, he added.