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Capital eyes provincial-style governance

DNA June 06, 2026 Less than a minute read

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ISLAMABAD:

The government has prepared a major reform blueprint for sweeping changes to the governance system of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), including the creation of an elected territorial government led by chief minister or mayor, consolidation of fragmented institutions, and a shift towards an integrated "Smart City" model aimed at improving service delivery and long-term urban planning in the federal capital.

The 138-page report on "ICT Governance Model" was prepared by a high-powered committee under Planning Commission Minister Ahsan Iqbal, amid concerns that Islamabad's rapid transformation from a planned administrative capital into a metropolitan city of more than 2.42 million people has not been matched by institutional evolution. The report has been presented to PM Shehbaz Sharif. At the centre of the proposal is the creation of a representative Islamabad Capital Territory Government (ICTG) with administrative and financial autonomy comparable to provincial governments, while preserving Islamabad's special federal character.

The proposed structure includes an elected Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly comprising 27 members.