Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The fourth meeting of the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI), became a moot to criticise the Capital Development Authority (CDA), as the elected representatives from the rural and the urban union councils of the capital city showed their strong criticism at the uncooperative behaviour of the officers in the civic body.

The meeting was held under the presidency of the Mayor of Islamabad Shaikh Ansar Aziz, at the Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad. A large number of elected members including all the three deputy mayors, Chaudhry Azam, Zeshan Shah and Chaudhry Rifat were present at the meeting.

The members used the opportunity and placed a bulk of complains in front of the mayor. They were of the view that they did not have any power and the officers in the civic body were also not cooperating with them. They complained that the authority’s officers even did not bother to attend their phone calls.

While responding to the complains made by the elected representatives Shaikh Ansar Aziz said; “CDA officers and workers are trying to defame the Metropolitan Corporation as they are not working prudently.” Becoming harsh the mayor said; “if the representatives of 5000 workers will ignore us then we will change our tune as we are the elected representative of 22 million people living in the capital city.”

Responding to the issues and problems highlighted by the MCI members belonging to rural areas he said; “we will work across the board without any discrimination and all problems would be resolved in an appropriate manner.”

The Chairman I-9 Union Council, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed, while addressing the meeting lauded the efforts of Shaikh Ansar Aziz to protect the rights of the Metropolitan Corporation and said; “taking charge of F-9 Park, Islamabad Zoo and Lakeview Park is the biggest achievement of the mayor as the bureaucracy in the civic body did not want to shift these important projects to us.”

He urged the mayor further by saying “Mr. Mayor, the whole house is behind you and we will take our rights by using all available forums including courts.”

Several members complained that the enforcement directorate of the CDA was doing anti-encroachment operations without taking them into confidence, which was creating problems for them.

The mayor responded that he had already directed the concerned director to bring the respective chairman into the loop before launching such action in future.”

Azhar Khan, a chairman from the Union Council Rawat, highlighted several issues related to education and the health sector. He said that “we need to first curtail the prevailing corruption in the system then we can do the developmental work on ground”.

He added that he could point out corruption worth millions of rupees in the past.

The mayor of Islamabad informed the members of the MCI that the President of Pakistan was pleased to meet the elected representatives of Islamabad and a meeting in this regard would be held at the President’s House, Islamabad, on Friday. He requested all the members to attend the meeting.

The meeting concluded with expectations and decisions to get the maximum power as it is necessary to serve the masses. There was no written agenda or even the minutes of the last meeting for the members of MCI and the meeting was conducted in an unprofessional manner.

Besides the unprofessional way of conducting the MCI session, criticism on the civic body, came out as a positive omen that the grassroots level democratic institutions are at last evolving in the country.