Islamabad to have metropolitan corporation

ISLAMABAD: A metropolitan corporation (MC) in Islamabad, which will be created by the first-ever local elections in the federal capital around the middle of the current year, will have wide-ranging powers with the electorate getting a direct say in the affairs of the fast-expanding city.
Pushed by the Supreme Court (SC) hard, the government has got a law passed from the National Assembly to hold the local council elections in Islamabad. It is yet to be approved by the Senate where its party-less aspect will face stiff resistance from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
The MC will take away several functions being performed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) single-handedly for decades since the establishment of Islamabad.In the beginning, there may be a turf war between the MC and CDA. The latter will experience the dispersal of its elaborate powers for the first time and the elected representatives. A reading of the law shows that at the very outset there will also be some overlapping, which will settle down only after the MC will function for some time and following a lot of wrangling between the two institutions.
Additionally, under the law, a motion of no-confidence will not be moved against the elected MC Mayor before the expiry of one year of his assumption of office.Where a motion of no-trust fails for want of requisite majority of votes, no similar resolution will be moved before one year from the date when it was tabled. The mayor will be removed by the two-third majority of the total members of the local government.
In the absence of an elected body in Islamabad, the CDA has been performing all civic and development functions in the federal capital.After the local polls in Islamabad, the MC will be empowered to regulate manufacturing, keeping, storing or selling wire thread or any other material meant for kite flying or likely to cause human life or electric installations or disruption of electric supply; discharging firearms and letting off fireworks, fire balloons or detonators, or any game dangerous to life, dwelling and other property; trading, storing and selling used or new tyres likely to cause dengue epidemic; and tanning, pressing or packing hides or skins, raw or dry, and trade or operation of ferries.
The MC will also have the authority to control the business of strong or selling timber, firewood, coal, charcoal, and coke, hay straw grass and bamboo, jute, shrub, and their products, matches, explosives, petrol, oil and lubricants, paper, edible oil and other dangerously inflammable materials; sugar refining and sugar refineries; operating and running bake houses, electroplating, welding, storing, packing, pressing, cleaning, preparing or manufacturing by any process whatever blasting powder, ammunition, fireworks, gunpowder, sulpher, mercury, gases, gun cotton, saltpeter, nitro-compounds, nitro-mixtures, phosphorous or dynamite; cleaning, dying, preparing or manufacturing by any process whatever clothes or yarn in indigo and other colours.
The MC will further regulate manufacturing oils; washing or drying wool or hair; making or manufacturing bricks, tiles, or earthenware pots, clay pipes or other earthenware by any process of baking or burning; burning or grinding of limestone or metal stone or storing of lime for sale; cleaning or grinding of grain or chilies by any kind or class or machinery; keeping animals likely to create nuisance; casting of heavy metals such as iron, lead copper and brass; dealing in poison, acid, chemicals, quid or otherwise; wholesale storing cleaning, pounding and selling of tobacco except the storing of tobacco required for the preparation of ‘biddis’, cigars or otherwise; operating or running tin factories, manufacturing of safes, trunks and boxes, marble cutting and polishing; glass leveling and polishing; manufacturing of cement and Hume pipes; and storing, packing, pressing, cleaning, preparing or manufacturing by any process, rags, pitch, tar, turpentine, dammar, coconut, fibre, fax, hemp, rosin or spirit.
The MC will enforce all municipal laws, rules and by-laws governing its functioning; develop integrated system of water reservoirs, water sources, treatment plants, drainage, liquid and solid waste disposal, sanitation and other municipal services; and assist in provision of relief in the event of fire, flood, hailstorm, earthquake, epidemic or other natural calamity and help relevant authorities in relief activities.
According to the law, the MC will execute and manage development plans; prevent and remove encroachments; regulate affixing of sign-boards and advertisements except where this function is being performed by the CDA; provide, manage, operate, maintain and improve the municipal infrastructure and services including water supply and control and development or water sources; sewage and sewage treatment and disposal; storm water drainage; sanitation and solid waste collection and sanitary disposal of solid, liquid, industrial and hospital wastes, treatment and disposal including landfill site and recycling plants; roads, streets; street lighting; playgrounds, open spaces, graveyards and arboriculture and slaughterhouses.