The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Wednesday unanimously passed the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Local Governments Bill, 2013. The committee met here with MNA Rana Shamim Ahmad Khan in the chair at the Parliament's House and approved the bill with some amendments proposed by the members of the committee.
As per the bill, local government in federal capital will consist of Union Councils (UCs) and Metropolitan Corporation. A UC would consist of Chairman and Vice-Chairman, six general members including two women, one peasant or workers, one youth member and one non-Muslim member provided at least two hundred non-Muslim voters are registered in the UC.
The urban area of Islamabad will be given the status of Metropolitan Corporation. The Metropolitan Corporation would consists of Mayor, deputy mayor as joint candidates, chairman of all union council, women, peasants/workers, technocrats, youth members and non-Muslim.
The number of women, peasants/workers, technocrats, youth and non-Muslim members would be determined by government through a notification issued by it from time to time. Chairman and Vice-chairman of Union Council would be elected through direct vote. The mayor and the deputy mayor shall be elected as joint candidates, in the first session of the metropolitan corporation. The minimum age of the candidate would be 25 years and the vote of the candidate must be registered in his UC.
The government should appoint a local government commission, which will consist of a person of integrity and good track record of public service. The commission will conduct annual and special inspections of the local governments and submit its report to the government.
Syed Asif Hussain of MQM said that under the local government system the power of Mayor should be enhanced and he should be given control of financial, management, revenue and other affairs otherwise he should be powerless. The local government system of federal capital should be a role model for the provinces, he suggested. Chairman Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan said that the suggestions given by the members of the committee would be included in the bill. He said that Supreme Court of Pakistan on October 14 had asked all provinces to present local government bills within two days, therefore all members need to approve the bill and if they have any other suggestions, they should present these in the National Assembly. The meeting was attended by MNAs Syed Iftikhar-ul-Hassan, Dr Ibadullah, Sheikh Muhammad Akram, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Syed Asif Hasnain and Syed Essa Noori.
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