Islamabad ‘not governed democratically’

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad hosts the Parliament, but the city itself is not governed democratically. This was the crux of discussion at a roundtable conference on ‘Governance of the Federal Capital’, arranged by the Centre for Civic Education Pakistan and the Forum of Federations.

Academics, officials, politicians, civil society activists and students attended the conference. The conference was arranged to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Islamabad and discuss its governance structure.

Senator Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, leader of the house in the Senate, was chief guest at the concluding session of the conference. He said that too many cooks spoil the broth.

Senator Bokhari criticised successive governments for plundering jobs quota of natives of Islamabad. He said that it is an irony that the people of Islamabad have been deprived of their right to have elected representatives at the helm of civil affairs at the federal capital. The leader of the house in the Senate welcomed the establishment of Islamabad High Court and hoped it would help in speedy dispensation of cases.

Dr. Werner Thut, vice president Forum of Federations highlighted the role of the forum in promoting academic and informed debate on federalism in federal systems across the world.

Zafarullah Khan, Executive Director CCEP, shed light on political importance of a capital in a federation state. Dr. Shahzad Waseem, former State Minister for Interior, Khawaja Zaheer, former federal secretary and Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmad of the University of Karachi also spoke on the occasion.