A high-powered committee has proposed an elected 27-member Capital Territory Assembly and greater administrative autonomy for Islamabad under an Act of Parliament.
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad could become Pakistan’s first new administrative unit under a proposed governance model aimed at giving the federal capital greater administrative autonomy and an elected government.
A high-powered committee headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has finalised 20 recommendations for restructuring the administration of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The proposals have been submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for consideration.
Under the proposed system, Islamabad would have a 27-member Capital Territory Assembly comprising 21 directly elected members, five reserved seats for women and one reserved seat for minorities. Elections would be conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The existing National Assembly constituencies in Islamabad would each be divided into seven constituencies for elections to the proposed territorial assembly. Members would be subject to Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
The assembly would elect its leader, who could be designated as either chief minister or mayor. The office-holder would serve as the chief executive of the ICT government and remain answerable to the elected assembly.
The proposed governance structure would establish administrative departments for Islamabad broadly along the lines of the provincial system. Most departments would operate under the ICT government, while law and order and master planning would remain under federal control.
The federal government could oversee those areas through the relevant federal minister or appoint a governor for Islamabad under the proposed arrangement.
The plan also recommends transferring most powers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to the ICT government. Master planning, however, would remain with the federal government.
The local government system would also be reorganised, with union councils serving as local government units and working with the ICT government’s local government department. Powers currently assigned to other institutions under the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015 would also be transferred to the ICT government.
A chief secretary would head the ICT administration, with the existing chief commissioner potentially appointed to the position. Four secretaries would oversee different groups of departments, while the names and responsibilities of these positions could later be amended through rules of business.
Law and order and master planning would report through the chief secretary to the relevant federal minister or governor.
The committee said its recommendations are aimed at increasing Islamabad’s administrative autonomy while strengthening democratic oversight through elected representative government. The proposal seeks to retain existing administrative structures where possible while recognising Islamabad’s special status as the federal capital.
If approved, the arrangement would be introduced through an Act of Parliament rather than a constitutional amendment, potentially marking a significant shift in how Islamabad is governed.
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