The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Monday came down hard on Mayor Islamabad Sheikh Anser Aziz and Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Amer Ali Ahmed for not showing up at the committee's meeting and decided to move a privilege motion against the two officials.
"The people are dying of dengue right here in the federal capital, let alone the entire country, and the mayor is sleeping. So is the chairman CDA," committee's Chairperson Sitara Ayaz remarked while presiding over the committee's meeting.
"There are heaps of garbage at every nook and corner of Islamabad that are posing serious environmental hazards. If things are like that in the federal capital, imagine what it would be like in the rest of the country. Islamabad was never so poorly managed before. And our respected mayor and honourable chairman CDA have no time to appear before this parliamentary forum to explain the reasons behind their gross failure in the civic management of this most important city," she said.
The committee members were unanimous in their view that the ongoing stints of Sheikh Anser as Mayor Islamabad and that of Amer Ali as Chairman CDA have followed serious allegations of corruption, mismanagement and other irregularities.
The panel decided to move a privilege motion against both of them for not attending the committee's meeting despite being summoned. Besides, the committee decided to take up the matter with Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.
On September 30, the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change had taken stock of deteriorating environmental standards, especially littering, in the federal capital, and summoned mayor Islamabad. Later, the committee summoned the chairman CDA for briefing on the matter.
A senator, who requested not to be named, told Business Recorder that several lawmakers, both from government and opposition, are seriously concerned over the role of mayor Islamabad regarding different civic issues related to the civic 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 PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz) and is believed to be a close confidante of Nawaz Sharif, is proving problematic for the present government," the source said.
It merits a mention here that the role of mayor Islamabad came under question when the federal capital was hit with 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 Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) which supervises the working of water supply, environment, sanitation and a host of other directorates related to civic management in Islamabad.
Recently, the MCI raised eyebrows by increasing the annual residential property tax fee in Islamabad by 200 per cent 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.
"Presently, the situation is far from even satisfactory in Islamabad that was once an ideal place to live in. There is dirt everywhere, the crime rate is rising like never before and there is issue of water shortage. The government and mayor both have to wake up to address the issues of civic management in Islamabad," Business Recorder was told.
In September 30 meeting, the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change observed that the mayor must appear before the committee in the next meeting to explain the reasons for non-payment of salaries to staff of the sanitation directorate. The committee also recommended devising a comprehensive and effective anti-littering policy and recommended imposition of fines on people found involved in littering.
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