ISLAMABAD, September 6, 2026: A proposed draft for the formation of the Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly has been submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ARY News reported.
The draft has been prepared by a high-level committee headed by Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. According to sources, the committee has proposed establishing the Islamabad assembly through an Act of Parliament instead of a constitutional amendment.
The proposal calls for seven seats for the Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly from each National Assembly constituency, while Islamabad would have its own assembly, chief executive and 27 administrative departments.
Under the proposed draft, 21 assembly members would be directly elected by the people. Five seats would be reserved for women and one for minorities.
The draft proposes bringing health, education, environment and civic services under the local government. It also proposes bringing Islamabad’s fragmented administrative system under a unified structure and restructuring the powers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other institutions.
Law and order and master planning would remain under the federal government, while other administrative matters would be transferred to the elected government.
The draft proposes transferring all powers and functions of the CDA to the Islamabad Capital Territory government, while functions of other institutions would be transferred under the Local Government Act 2015.
A chief secretary and four secretaries would be appointed to manage Islamabad’s administrative affairs. The four secretaries would be given responsibilities for different administrative groups and departments.
According to sources, institutions established in Islamabad would work for the entire ICT, while federal institutions established for the whole country would continue their operations in the capital.
The proposed framework also recommends comprehensive and unified legislation for Islamabad’s new administrative system, along with necessary amendments to the CDA Ordinance 1960.
Under the proposal, members of the Islamabad assembly would be subject to Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. Elections would be held under the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The chief executive of Islamabad would be called either a mayor or chief minister and would be accountable to the elected assembly. The assembly would have provincial-style administrative and financial autonomy.
The federal government would continue to manage law and order and master planning through the relevant ministry or governor.
According to sources, the proposed structure will be approved by the federal cabinet. After approval, legislation will be introduced in the Senate and National Assembly.
The high-level special committee that prepared the draft includes Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Musadik Malik, Rana Sanaullah, Talal Chaudhry, Islamabad’s two members of the National Assembly and the interior secretary.
