Islamabad - The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has refused to accommodate Pakistan Peoples Party’s proposal for holding local government elections in Islamabad on party basis in the pending Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill 2014.
“The government did not agree to incorporate PPP’s suggested amendment of holding local government elections in Islamabad on party basis in the pending bill,” said Dr Nafisa Shah of PPP - who is part of opposition members’ team engaged with the PML-N lawmakers in a bid to develop consensus over the bill.
Shah said if the PML-N tried to hold voting over the bill sans PPP’s suggested amendment then it would surely be opposed.
The Islamabad local government bill was moved by the PML-N in National Assembly on March 18 but it was deferred after Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah said there was a need of building consensus over the proposed bill before final voting. The bill was skipped once again on Wednesday at the National Assembly when Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad informed the house that PPP had suggested some amendments to the bill and that talks were underway over the issue.
The clause 25 (k) of the bill that pertains to “disqualification for candidates and elected members” states that “(a candidate will be disqualified) if he/she used for his election a platform, flag, symbol, affiliation and financial or material resources or support of a political, religious, ethnic or sectarian party or organization.”
Nafisa Shah said in Balochistan province local bodies elections were held on party basis, while the Lahore High Court had recently given verdict that local government elections in Punjab would also be held on party basis. As per schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the local government elections in Islamabad will be held on July 27, 2015.
The PML-N, however, agreed to add in some six other amendments proposed by the PPP in the bill. These amendments chiefly relate to collection of property tax, defined - in terms of percentage - representation of women, peasant, minority and technocrats in local government, clear power and revenue sharing arrangements between local government and the CDA, etc.
“Despite the fact the PML-N has agreed to introduce amendments suggested by the PPP, still we (PPP) think it’s a hurriedly drafted and incomplete bill,” commented Nafisa Shah, adding still there exists lacunas and ambiguities in draft of the bill.
The clause 11 of the bill titled “Composition of Metropolitan Corporation” says: “The number of women, peasants/workers, technocrats, youth and non-Muslim members shall be determined by the government through a notification issue from time to time.” The PPP objected to this provision, Shah said, as it thinks there should be a defined percentage.
“The PML-N agreed to incorporate amendment that women, youth and minorities, and technocrats should be given representation in metropolitan corporation on defined percentage of 33 per cent,” Shah informed. Similarly, she said the PML-N also agreed that local government would be responsible for collection of property tax from the city rather than the CDA.  Talking to The Nation, Centre for Civic Education Pakistan Executive Director Zafarullah Khan said there were a number of loopholes in the proposed bill which need to be ratified before its passage from the Parliament.
For instance, Khan said, clause 98 of the bill titled, “Dissolution of Local Government” says that the government may by notification dissolve the local government even before the expiry of the term of the local government as the general election date are announced.
“It’s totally undemocratic,” Khan observed. He also criticised clauses which pertain to exclusion of some area of the federal capital from local government elections, age limit for youth members and overall composition of metropolitan corporation and union councils.