ISLAMABAD: The elected representatives from the capital city on Thursday blamed Mayor Shaikh Ansar Aziz for running a “powerless” local government setup in the city.
They were of the view that Aziz, who was also the acting chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), had done nothing to strengthen the elected body of Islamabad except for enjoying personal perks and privileges. The 15th meeting of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) was held at the Pakistan China Friendship Centre in Islamabad to discuss four agenda items. Furious debate was sparked when a member of ruling party, Sajid Abbasi, criticised the MCI chief officer and the mayor for approving the minutes of last meeting. “It is an insult to us that the chief officer only records the points of his own interest and neglects our important suggestions while preparing the minutes of meetings.” “If you cannot maintain the record, then a committee from this house should be constituted to draft the minutes,” he said. Another member of local body belonging to opposition benches, Malik Rafeque, said: “We have lost the confidence of our voters because we have failed to achieve anything in last two years. We don’t have funds, offices and even rules of business.” “If the system fails, then people will ultimately call you a failed mayor,” he said. While responding to the allegations, Mayor Shaikh Ansar Aziz clarified his position. “I am trying hard to get funds from the federal government. I have also written a letter to the Islamabad chief commissioner in this regard,” he said. In response, another member, Azhar Hussain, started waving a file in the meeting, claiming that it contained proof of corruption done by secretary union council. “Writing a letter to the Islamabad chief commissioner is a move to make the MCI powerless and subordinates to bureaucrats,” he said.
Published in Daily Times, September 29th 2017.