Rawalpindi and Islamabad may be merged

ISLAMABAD—The government is seriously considering to eventually merge Rawalpindi tehsil with the Islamabad Capital Territory so that the neighbouring areas also benefit from fast-paced development and facilities.
“The idea to merge Rawalpindi, only tehsil and not the entire district, has been well-received and an exercise to move ahead on this matter has been initiated,” a senior official said on Friday. “Yes, I am in total support of this idea,” said Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who hails from downtown Rawalpindi. “Rawalpindi is not being developed because of shortage of funds and dwellers are facing multiple problems and having lesser civic facilities.” He said that Rawalpindi’s merger with Islamabad would help this area to grow fast at par with the posh areas of the capital city. A local leader said once this merger takes place, the areas within the present Rawalpindi tehsil would start receiving adequate funds for development.
“We are not receiving adequate funds from the provincial government primarily because the Lahore-based Punjab bureaucracy believes that Rawalpindi is almost part of Islamabad,” said the local leader. He enlisted high price value of the land, changing lifestyle of the Rawalpindi residents, benefits in terms of development, educational, medical and civic facilities as the net profits the Rawalpindi residents will get if this merger takes place. Rawalpindi tehsil is an old city and it houses General Headquarters, which will be shifted to Islamabad in five years.—Agencies