PM's aide, Islamabad mayor criticised for failing to attend Senate panel meeting

Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Monday slammed Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz for not attending the committee's meeting, as they had to brief the panel about the steps the government is taking to curb deteriorating environmental standards in the federal capital.

"The public officeholders are answerable - not only to public but also to the Parliament. But it seems they have total disregard for both the public and the Parliament," said the committee's chairperson Sitara Ayaz while presiding over the meeting.

The committee members expressed concern that although the government imposed a ban on plastic bags in the federal capital a few weeks ago, yet it failed to completely implement the ban and introduce better alternate to polythene bags.

The committee had sent notices to the PM's climate change advisor, the mayor and chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) to appear before the committee and give related briefings on their alleged failure to stop littering in the federal capital, issue of polythene bags ban, shifting of slums and issues regarding management of Faisal Mosque.

Chairman CDA Amer Ali Ahmed appeared before the committee on Monday for the briefing. The chairman CDA passed the blame of littering to the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI), saying the MCI, headed by the mayor, is responsible for waste management in Islamabad, which, he said, has nothing to do with the CDA.

"It's the job of the MCI to take steps to prevent littering and take action against those found involved in littering," the chairman said.

"Still, we are doing our best for the beautification of Islamabad. The state of affairs at the MCI can be judged from the fact that the MCI did not pay its sanitary workers their monthly salaries which were paid by us (CDA)," Ahmed said.

The chairman CDA said that the CDA has proposed five transfer sites to MCI for garbage disposal under the landfill site project.

On the issue of slums in Islamabad, he said that the CDA has prepared a comprehensive plan to shift the slums to I-9, G-7 and Alipur Farash. As many as 1,500 slum units would be established in sector I-9, 1,300-1,400 units in sector G-7 and around 3,000 units will be established in Alipur Farash at the designated sites, the chairman said.

Briefing the committee, Director General Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Farzana Shah recommended that the markets in the federal capital should be closed at 8:00pm so as to give the shopkeepers sufficient time to clear the garbage dumped by them in the markets.

In his briefing to the Senate panel, Director MCI Sardar Khan recommended that the fine imposed on any person found involved in littering should be increased to Rs 5,000. Presently, he said, the MCI is charging Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 on individuals found involved in littering.

"Islamabad used to be regarded as heaven on earth. It was more beautiful than the capitals of the most countries of the world. But due to the gross negligence showed by our authorities, its standard is deteriorating day by day. There are heaps of garbage and dirt everywhere," said the committee's chairperson.

The committee recommended mapping out a concrete plan against littering. The committee also recommended to the CDA and MCI to work together for the effective management of Faisal Mosque and take practical steps for the eradication of polythene bags and introduce practicable alternate to polythene bags.

A senator, who requested not to be named, told Business Recorder that several lawmakers, both from the government and opposition, are seriously concerned over the role of mayor Islamabad regarding different civic issues related to management of Islamabad. "There is a strong feeling that ever since the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government came into power, the mayor of Islamabad, who belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and is believed to be a close confidante of Nawaz Sharif, is proving problematic for the present government," the source said.

It merits mentioning here that the role of mayor Islamabad came under question when the federal capital was hit by worst water shortage in September last year, hardly a few days after the PTI government came into power in August last year. Several sectors of Islamabad including I-8, I-9 and adjoining areas have been facing serious water shortage since September 2018, despite the fact that these areas never faced water shortage before.

The mayor heads the MCI which supervises the working of water supply, environment, sanitation and a host of other directorates related to civic management in Islamabad.

In September this year, the MCI raised eyebrows by increasing the annual residential property tax fee in Islamabad by 200 percent that was payable by September 30.

In the backdrop of serious rift between the mayor and the federal government, the latter is reluctant to release funds to the MCI and the residents of Islamabad are bearing the brunt due to lack of civic facilities, the source said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019