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Proposal for Islamabad's Elected Assembly and Mayor-Based Government Finalized
Islamabad may get an elected government! A sub-committee proposes an ICT Govt on the New Delhi model with an elected assembly & mayor, but without control over police, home, and master planning.
ND
by News Desk
2025-03-08
Proposal for Islamabad's Elected Assembly and Mayor-Based Government Finalized

A sub-committee on administrative reforms has proposed a democratically elected assembly for Islamabad, modeled after New Delhi’s governance system. The assembly will elect its leader, who will be called the mayor, ensuring representative government and decentralized administrative control.

The recommendations, outlined in an interim report, suggest transferring powers from the federal government to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) government. The sub-committee’s proposal aims to streamline institutions, reduce scattered departments, and introduce administrative and financial autonomy similar to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

Key Features of the Proposal:

🔹 Islamabad Assembly: Directly elected representatives, similar to a provincial assembly.
🔹 Mayor as Leader: The assembly will elect a mayor, who will be accountable to the elected members.
🔹 Limited Federal Oversight: Departments of Home, Police, and Master Planning will remain under the federal government.
🔹 Departmental Reorganization: ICT will have 26 departments, divided into four groups: Social, Economic, Development, and General.
🔹 Institutional Restructuring: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other agencies will work under the ICT government. The role of the Chief Commissioner will be replaced by a Chief Secretary.
🔹 Legislation: The Islamabad Capital Territory Act 2025 will be enacted to formalize the governance structure.
🔹 Interim Setup: The President may issue an executive order under Article 258 of the Constitution for temporary implementation.

Implementation Roadmap

📜 Legal Draft: A draft will be prepared within one month.
📜 Amendments: The Rules of Business 1973 will be modified to accommodate new governance mechanisms.
📜 Financial Structure: No major budgetary changes; existing ICT institutions will be restructured rather than replaced.

Committee and Next Steps

The sub-committee, led by Barrister Zafarullah, includes Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, MNAs Khurram Shahzad and Anjum Aqeel, Additional Secretary (Interior Ministry), Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, and a CDA representative.

The final recommendations will be presented to the ministerial committee, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, after next week’s meeting.

Conclusion

This proposal marks a significant step toward local governance in Islamabad, addressing long-standing demands for greater democratic representation. However, the final approval will depend on the federal government’s response and the passage of the proposed Islamabad Capital Territory Act 2025.
Tagged:

LocalGovernance

IslamabadReforms

ICTAssembly

IslamabadMayor
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