Pakistan’s government has proposed a major overhaul of governance in Islamabad, suggesting the creation of an elected legislative assembly in the capital headed by a chief executive, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday, replacing a governance system long dominated by the federal bureaucracy.
Built as a planned city in the 1960s, Pakistan’s capital Islamabad is noted for its high standards of living, safety and abundant greenery. It is currently administered by several institutions headed by the interior ministry, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and local government institutions.
Unlike Pakistan’s provinces, the capital does not have its own elected legislature. Islamabad has also not held local government elections since 2015, leaving residents without direct municipal representation for more than a decade.
The Planning Ministry on Friday released a draft report prepared by a committee chaired by Iqbal. The report proposes changes to Islamabad’s governance model. The ministry said the report is publicly available for feedback before it is submitted to the cabinet for final consideration.
“We have uploaded the proposed draft to the website and will conduct consultations to get feedback from the public and civil society,” Iqbal told Arab News.
“Then we will present it before the cabinet again. This will require a constitutional amendment,” he said.
He added that the process to secure feedback from the public was started on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice, who was given the report earlier this week. The reforms, however, would require a constitutional amendment and broad political consensus to become law.
The planning minister said the capital’s proposed assembly will be able to legislate laws for the city on its own. He said administrative bottlenecks in the system were creating problems in introducing reforms in Islamabad’s governance model.
“Even for the smallest legislation in Islamabad, if they have to impose a local tax, it has to go to the national parliament,” Iqbal said.
The 138-page report proposes establishing an autonomous Islamabad Capital Territory Government with administrative and financial powers.
At the center of the plan is a 27-member assembly, comprising 21 directly elected members, five reserved seats for women and one seat for minorities. The assembly would elect its own chief executive, who could be designated either chief minister or mayor, the report said.
Under the proposal, responsibility for education, health care and municipal services would be transferred to the new government, while the federal administration would retain authority over the capital’s master planning and law and order.
In a post on X, Iqbal said the proposed model was aimed at creating a capital that was “democratic, efficient, environmentally sustainable, technologically advanced and responsive to the aspirations of its citizens.”
The report also proposes an integrated “Smart City” framework, including six specialized authorities responsible for health, education, social welfare, tourism, environment and digital governance.
Implementation would be phased over five years and overseen by dedicated legislative, financial and transition committees, the report said.
While the government seeks public feedback, the proposals may likely face political hurdles as any constitutional amendment requires approval by a two-thirds majority in parliament.
Iqbal is confident and says the target will be achieved easily.
“We will consult all political parties, but I don’t think anyone will object because everyone understands that there is a vacuum in Islamabad,” he said.