Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad's (MCI) Mayor Sheikh Anser on Monday submitted an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Capital Development Authority (CDA), saying that the latter had not handed over powers that the MCI was entitled to under the Islamabad Local Government Act, 2015.

The petition, filed by Advocate Ahmed Nawaz on Anser's behalf, said that the MCI was still unable to make appointments, collect property taxes or manage and control estate in the capital, even though the body had been granted the powers under the aforementioned act. The petition further said that no development funds had been allocated to the MCI, due to which the municipal body was "handicapped to take upon the municipal issues [...] cleanliness, removal of waste etc".

The mayor also accused the CDA of "interfering" in the posting and transfer of MCI employees as well.

"The posting and transfer of employees is, on paper, controlled by the MCI; however, practically, it is the CDA that interferes in the said matters with the aid and assistance of the CBA Union," the petition read.

It further said that while the CDA had transferred its liabilities to MCI, it had not handed over the assets out of "nefarious designs".

"All the assets that have been transferred to the MCI are in fact not out of the goodwill on the part of the CDA to comply with the law; rather are a liability and the assets which actually should be transferred to the MCI have been held back by the CDA for nefarious designs, lacking any legal basis or authority."

The petitioner urged the court to direct the Interior Ministry to divide and hand over the authority and powers the MCI was entitled to under the law.

"The Federal Government [should] be directed to allocate a budget to the MCI, and employees transferred to MCI be subjected to control of MCI in matters of discipline, transfer and posting for smooth running of the corporation," the petition said.