There has been a major breakthrough in the local government system in Islamabad, in which the local government elections in Islamabad have been postponed once again, while the President has issued the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance.
According to Express News, the President has issued a presidential ordinance amending the Islam Local Government Act regarding the establishment of local government. The metropolitan corporation system will be abolished in the federal capital, town corporations will be established, and Islamabad will be divided into three town corporations based on the three constituencies of the National Assembly.
According to the ordinance, Islamabad will be divided into three town corporations based on the three constituencies of the National Assembly. Each town corporation will have as many union councils as the federal government will notify.
The government will be able to amend the boundaries of the town corporation and union councils after listening to public objections and recommendations, however, no changes will be made to the boundaries after the election schedule is announced.
The ordinance clarifies that local government will mean the union council and town corporation, while where the local government is not functional, the government will appoint an administrator. The head will mean the mayor of the town corporation or the chairman of the union council.
According to the administrative structure, each town corporation will have a mayor and two deputy mayors, while the chairman of the union council will be part of the town corporation as general members.
In addition, each town corporation will include four women, one farmer or worker, one trader or businessman, one youth and one non-Muslim member.
At the union council level, general members will be elected through secret ballot, for which the entire union council has been declared a multi-member ward. Each voter will be able to vote for only one general member candidate and the nine candidates who receive the most votes will be elected general members.
Successful candidates will be able to join any political party within thirty days. The general members will elect members to the reserved seats of the union council through a show of hands, while the general and reserved seat members will jointly elect the chairman and vice chairman from among themselves through a show of hands.
The chairman and vice chairman will also be able to join any political party within thirty days after the election. The chairman of the union council will be the general member of the town corporation.
At the town corporation level, the general members will elect members to the reserved seats through a show of hands, while all the members of the town corporation will jointly elect the mayor and deputy mayor through a majority vote. Under the ordinance, only a member of the town corporation will be eligible to contest the election of mayor or deputy mayor.
Regarding electoral matters, it has been clarified that the Election Commission of Pakistan will delimit the constituencies of union councils, while on the recommendation of the Ministry of Interior, the government will also be able to increase or decrease the number of union councils within the town corporation.
Under the fiscal powers, the local government or administrator has been given the authority to impose taxes, fees, rents, tolls and other charges, however, every tax proposal must first be approved by the government. The tax proposed by the administrator will be presented to the National Assembly after the approval of the government. The local government or administrator will also have the authority to increase, reduce, abolish or exempt taxes.
According to the ordinance, the government will have the authority to issue directions to the local government or administrator, and the local government or administrator will be bound to implement these directions.