Islamabad - “Priorities of the ruling elite and the public deeply clash with each other,” said the representatives of various sections of society gathered at a meeting held in the Islamabad Youth Hostel wherein they identified problems that are being faced by the residents of Islamabad Capital Territory.
The participants identified the following issues: poor quality of water, sanitation and health services; law and order; and discriminatory practice regarding services provision to rural, urban, rich and poor/slum localities by CDA. This discriminatory practice clearly shows elite preference and bias and is a result of corruption, cronyism and nepotism, they said.
The participants also collectively analysed reasons and factors of these problems. The participants were found unanimous that civil bureaucracy and political interference were the two major factors of poor governance. The participants also unanimously passed a resolution in support of PIA workers and demanded of the government to withdraw PIA privatisation bill and start negotiation with PIA Joint Action Committee.
The participants also demanded to make union councils and metropolitan corporation fully autonomous.
The meeting participants unanimously prepared and adopted a citizens’ charter and formed a steering committee which will be responsible to continue working on the charter. The representatives of labourers, traders, lawyers, CSOs, local councils and women groups attended the meeting.
The participants elected the following members unanimously for the majis steering committee including renowned CDA Union leader Ch Yasin, traders nominated Irfan Ch, Muazam Ali from Postal Labour Unions, Hameeda Bibi and Mumtaz Khan as women representatives, Sayed Amjad Ali represents bar association, Rao Javed represents political parties, Zubair Sarhadi representing slums, Qaisar Ghufar and Gulistan Abbasi representing newly elected local government representatives, M Munir represents PTCL union, M Amir represents District Governance Support Group and Iqbal Shaheen represents PTV Labour Union.