ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly Thursday passed a legislative bill for holding local bodies’ elections in Islamabad Capital Territory, rejecting a major amendment from PPP which had proposed for holding the polls on party basis.
The PML-N government however accepted eight out of nine amendments proposed by the major opposition party to the ‘Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill, 2014’.
It succeeded in sailing through the bill after engaging in arguments with opposition parties.
PPP tried to convince the government on its proposal for holding election on party basis to strengthen the system, but the bill was passed without that particular amendment, paving way for local bodies (LB) elections on non-party basis in the capital territory.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab, mover of the bill, rejecting the proposed amendment, argued that every citizen should be given the right to contest polls sans having any party affiliation.
“It is against the spirit of democracy,” said the minister while responding to views of Opposition Leader in NA Khursheed Shah.
“There should be no ban on basic rights of the people as the government wanted to strengthen the system at grassroots level,” he added.
Before the bill was passed, Opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah taking the floor said that it would be violation of Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed between Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.
“At least people should know where they are casting their vote.
If you plough plant of corruption then result will be negative,” he said, accusing that government has no confidence on its own party.
“Believe in your people.
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believe in democracy and hold polls on party basis,” said Shah.
He further commented if this was the criteria then polls of Member National Assembly (MNA) and Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) should also be on non-party basis.
Citing the example of independent MNAs, he said that independent candidates always join the government if they win in elections.
PPP lawmakers Nafeesa Shah, Azra Peechuho and Iyaz Soomro in their amendments proposed that the number of women should not be less than 33 percent, peasant not less than 5 percent, Non-Muslims not less than 2 percent and technocrat not less than two percent among the winners of LB polls.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill said there was strong realisation that urban and rural areas have been receiving disproportionate financial resources in disregard to the local needs of the particular areas.
“New government system is proposed to be established so that accountable individual local government is formed by empowering them to shoulder the political and authority of government at local level,” it says.
Taking the floor, ANP’s Ghulam Ahmed Bliour said that this bill was forcibly bulldozed by the government.
“It is tantamount to divide country in four parts,” he added.
The house also witnessed two separate walkouts of main opposition parties (PPP and MQM) for different reasons.
Khursheed Shah, on point of order, raised voice against police torture on peasants for raising their voice.
“Agriculture is backbone of our country.
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Police torture is condemnable as they were only demanding their rights,” Shah said, before staging walkout with party members.
The PPP would raise voice for peasants and would stand with them in this difficult situation, he announced.
MQM, the third major opposition party, staged walkout against the language used by PTI chief Imran Khan who called Karachites ‘living corpse’.
“Imran Khan used derogatory language against the citizens of Karachi.
Imran has MQM phobia so he used such language,” said MQM lawmaker Asif Hasnian.
He also joined hands with the Opposition Leader and raised voice in favour of peasants.
Shah in return also raised voice in the support of the MQM.
“Imran Khan should not use such insulting language, as there should be proper respect of each other in politics,” he said.
ANP’s Ghulam Ahmed Bliour, on his turn, said Punjab Police torture against peasants is condemnable offence.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) lawmaker Sher Akbar said that proper enquiry should be conducted as earlier Punjab Police had tortured blind persons.
Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Riaz Pirzada, in response to opposition party’s concerns, said that matter has been conveyed to Punjab chief minister.
“As a minister for Inter provincial coordination, I have talked to him (Shahbaz Sharif) and conveyed the concerns,” he added.
The house also passed two other bills: ‘The federal employees benevolent fund and group insurance (first amendment), 2013’ and ‘The federal employees benevolent fund and group insurance (Second amendment)’.
The statement of objects and reasons says ‘a monthly benevolent grant is provided to the family members of an employee who dies upto the age of 70 years whereas the grants under other schemes of the FEB & GI FUND viz Marriage grant are given without restriction of any age limit.
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