ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly passed "The Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill, 2015" today, aimed at rationalizing and reorganizing the local government system in the federal capital.
The Bill was moved by Muhammad Balighur Rehman. The bill has already been passed by the Senate with amendments.
The bill, among other things, envisages holding of local government elections in Islamabad on party basis.
Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan speaking on the bill, said the government has accepted all the amendments proposed by the Opposition in the Senate. He said it is for the first time that Local Government Elections will be held in Federal Capital. He said the PML-N Government held local government elections in the country in 1987, 1991, 1998 and is going to hold these elections now.
He rejected the impression that the undemocratic governments held local government elections for more times than the elected governments. He said the local government elections during undemocratic governments were aimed to put off general elections. He said all political parties want local government elections and it is also a constitutional obligation.