Islamabad Governance Plan Proposes 27-Member Assembly, Elected Chief

ISLAMABAD: A government committee has proposed a major restructuring of Islamabad's administrative system, recommending the creation of a 27-member elected territorial assembly and an elected chief executive for the federal capital. The proposal, reported late on Sunday, has been submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and would give Islamabad a substantially broader system of representative government than the capital currently has.

Under the proposed framework, the Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly would have 27 members. Twenty-one seats would be filled through direct elections, while five would be reserved for women and one for minorities. The Election Commission of Pakistan would be responsible for conducting the elections, and members would be subject to the constitutional eligibility and disqualification provisions applied to other elected representatives.

The planned assembly would choose a chief executive to head the Islamabad administration. According to the proposal, the office could be designated as either chief minister or mayor, with the officeholder answerable to the elected assembly. The arrangement would introduce a political executive directly linked to an elected territorial legislature, significantly changing the existing governance structure of the Islamabad Capital Territory.

The draft also proposes placing 27 administrative departments under the new territorial government. Key public-service areas including health, education, environmental management and municipal functions would fall within its jurisdiction. A chief secretary and senior administrative secretaries would oversee the government machinery, while the territorial administration would be empowered to frame rules for carrying out its responsibilities.

Despite the proposed devolution, the federal government would retain control over two strategically important areas: law and order and Islamabad's master planning. The arrangement therefore seeks to expand local democratic and administrative authority without transferring every federal responsibility connected to the national capital. The division of powers would be central to how the proposed system operates if it proceeds to legislation.

Another major element concerns the Capital Development Authority. The proposal envisages transferring many functions currently exercised by the CDA to the new Islamabad government, while master planning would remain under federal control. Responsibilities presently handled through existing local-government institutions could also be reorganised under the territorial administration, potentially changing how residents receive civic, health, education and municipal services across Islamabad.

The proposal remains at the draft stage and has not yet become law. Further government approval and legislation would be required before the assembly, chief executive and administrative structure could be established. If adopted, the plan would represent one of the most significant changes to Islamabad's governance model in decades, giving residents a stronger directly elected role in managing the federal capital while preserving federal authority over security and long-term planning.