A high-level committee has proposed a 27-member elected assembly for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), with its own chief executive and 27 administrative departments, sources have told a private media outlet.
The proposal recommends creating a formal Islamabad Capital Territory Government with an elected legislature having administrative and financial powers similar to those of a provincial government.
The draft was prepared by a committee headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, with Federal Ministers Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Musadik Malik and Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry, both National Assembly members from Islamabad and the Interior Secretary as members.
According to the draft, the Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly would have 27 members, including 21 directly elected members, five reserved seats for women and one reserved seat for minorities.
Each National Assembly constituency in Islamabad would have seven corresponding constituencies for the territory assembly.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would conduct the elections, while all assembly members would have to meet the requirements under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
The assembly would elect its leader, who would be designated as either chief minister or mayor and serve as the Chief Executive of the Islamabad Capital Territory Government. The chief executive would remain accountable to the elected assembly.
The proposed government would oversee 27 departments, with health, education, environment and municipal services coming under the local government.
Law and order and master planning would remain with the federal government through the relevant federal minister or an ICT governor.
The draft also proposes transferring all Capital Development Authority (CDA) functions to the new Islamabad government except master planning.
Union Councils would serve as the only tier of local government under the proposed structure and would work with the Local Government Department of the territory government.
The chief secretary, who currently serves as the chief commissioner, would continue in the role along with four secretaries overseeing groups of departments.
The law and order and master planning departments would report to the federal minister or governor through the chief secretary.
Reports quoted sources that the new governance system would require an Act of Parliament rather than a constitutional amendment.
The proposed legislation would be called the Islamabad Capital Territory Government Act 2026 and would combine provisions from the ICT Local Act 2015 and the Capital Development Authority Ordinance 1960 into a single law.
The draft would first go to the federal cabinet for approval. Once approved, the government would introduce the legislation in both the Senate and National Assembly (NA).
A legislative committee would then be formed to prepare the required law. The committee would include the Law Minister, an Islamabad MNA, the Secretary Law, Secretary Interior, CDA Chairman and co-opted members.
Under the proposal, the Islamabad Capital Territory Government would have administrative and financial autonomy similar to a provincial government.
All existing and future institutions operating in ICT would work across the entire territory under the new government, rather than only in urban areas.
