Islamabad Chamber of Commerce Calls Major Convention to Demand Provincial Status for the Capital, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Grace Event as Chief Guest
ISLAMABAD: Administrative autonomy is the demand of the hour being pushed by business and trade associations in the federal capital, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) declared the holding of a grand convention tomorrow to achieve Islamabad’s provincial status.
Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi will be among the high profile speakers at the convention as the chief guest. The event will see the participation of elected politicians, bar association members, industrial sector participants, trade associations, labour union representatives and key civil society figures.
The Proposed Islamabad Governance Charter has 7 key demands which are detailed below:
The convention will formally discuss and accept the detailed Islamabad Governance and Provincial Status Charter, laying out some of the administrative and constitutional demands:
Elected Government: Islamabad should be given full provincial status including a democratically elected Provincial Assembly, Government and a Chief Minister.
Elections for local assembly and union councils to be held within a 120-day timeframe: Electoral Timeline.
Financial Autonomy: Sharing of a share of all taxes and fees with the local ICT government directly, in addition to funding according to population and inflation rates instead of the NFC award system.
Structural restructuring of CDA: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) should only be responsible for master planning and regulatory control and all other municipal and administrative needs should be delegated to the elected local government.
Federal Scope and Development Funds: The federal authority in Islamabad should be limited to law enforcement and master planning and guarantee a separate fund for the development purpose of rural areas of Islamabad.