ISLAMABAD: The first elected mayor of Islamabad announced his surprise resignation on Tuesday, a day after the federal government embarked on an effort to strip the local government of various key directorates.

Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz, a close aide to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, announced his resignation on social media by sharing a photograph of a letter dated Oct 1. He resigned five months before his five-year tenure in office would be complete.

Earlier this week, he inaugurated a filtration plant in I-10, where he said he would continue serving the people of the city.

On Monday evening, the Ministry of Interior notified that almost all the important directorates of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) had been placed under the administrative control of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Mr Aziz did not comment on this development on Tuesday until his resignation surfaced Tuesday evening.

Despite criticising withdrawal of MCI directorates, days earlier mayor had asked govt to shift directorates to CDA

His resignation letter, dated Oct 1, stated: “I, Sheikh Anser Aziz, hereby resign as mayor, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, with immediate effect.”

Although he did not respond to requests for comment from the press after the interior ministry’s notification was issued or after he shared his resignation letter, Deputy Mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi confirmed to Dawn that Mr Aziz has resigned.

On Twitter, Mr Aziz wrote: “The way we have been pushed to the wall with all powers taken back by federal govt, MCI can no longer serve its dearest citizens. Better to quit if can’t help my people. I have resigned as Mayor Islamabad. Record: Resigned after clearance of 2 references, audits & NAB inquiries.”

He continued: “MCI had funds but no finance department was allocated by federal govt to allow release of those funds. Still we did our best to keep things moving.

But now all departments under MCI have been withdrawn, handed over to CDA.”

In a strange turn of events, Mr Aziz, who claimed that he had resigned because the government took all his powers, himself wrote to the Ministry of Interior on Oct 1 asking for MCI directorates to be placed under the CDA’s administrative control.

His request has puzzled fellow members of the PML-N.

Deputy Mayor Naqvi said the mayor “used to be a defender of the MCI and always tried to get control of the maximum number of CDA departments.

“So how could he have requested the interior ministry to place MCI directorates under the control of the CDA? This is something beyond our understanding,” he added.

The interior ministry’s notification to place MCI directorates under the CDA’s control was issued on the mayor’s proposal.

During his four years as mayor, Mr Aziz often fought the MCI’s case during press talks and before parliamentary committees, saying that many CDA departments that should have been devolved to the MCI in accordance with the Local Government Act 2015 were not.

But on Oct 1, he cited the MCI’s incomplete rules of business and asked the interior ministry to place the MCI’s major directorates under the CDA’s administrative control “to ensure smooth and effective service delivery of capital city, to ease difficulty being faced by citizens, and beyond political divides.”

When contacted, PML-N Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, who is also member of Local Government Commission, said he had come to know about mayor’s resignation through media.

Expressing his surprise over the sudden development, he said he had been trying to contact mayor, but received no response.

PML-N spokesperson, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said she was unaware of Mr Aziz’ resignation as mayor of Islamabad. She said she would return with more details, but then did not respond.

Sardar Mahtab and M. Sajid Abbas, local PML-N union council chairmen and MCI members, who were considered members of Mr Aziz’ inner circle, said that they were unable to reach Mr Aziz for his point of view about his resignation despite their best efforts.

“Our MCI session was slated to be held on Tuesday, but it was postponed by the mayor on Monday, so I have no idea what prompted the mayor to tender his resignation without consulting the party’s chairmen,” Mr Abbasi said, adding that Mr Aziz’ personal assistant shared his resignation in the WhatsApp group for PML-N MCI members.

He said that according to the law, the senior-most deputy mayor can be appointed mayor. In this case, this would be PML-N leader Azam Khan.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan called Mr Aziz’ resignation a ‘welcoming move’.

He claimed Mr Aziz should have resigned a few years ago because residents of Islamabad were suffering due to his negligence and incompetency.

“The dilapidated condition of roads, streets, dysfunctional streetlights, broken footpaths, barren greenbelts, shortage of water and poor sanitation arrangements are enough to gauge the performance of the mayor,” he said, adding that the government and CDA are now set to spend around Rs3 billion on the city’s rehabilitation.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2020