Amid the ongoing debate over the creation of new provinces and administrative units in the country, a proposed draft for a new administrative model for the federal capital, Islamabad, has been presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The proposed draft recommends running Islamabad under an empowered local government and giving citizens their own elected assembly and elected chief executive.
Under the new system, administrative powers in the capital would be brought under one integrated local government.
According to the proposed administrative model, a 27-member assembly would be established in Islamabad. Members for 21 seats would be directly elected by the public, while 5 seats would be reserved for women and 1 seat for minorities.
The draft also proposes 7 Islamabad Assembly seats from each National Assembly constituency.
The proposal recommends a chief executive for Islamabad, with the position titled either Chief Minister or Mayor. The elected chief executive would be accountable to the assembly, while most of Islamabad’s administrative affairs would be managed by the elected government.
The proposed system includes 27 administrative departments under the Islamabad government. Health, education, environment, civic services and other important sectors would be placed under the local government.
The draft also proposes giving Islamabad administrative and financial autonomy similar to that of a province. The local government would also have the authority to formulate its own rules of business for running its affairs.
Under the proposed structure, a Chief Secretary and four Secretaries would be appointed to manage Islamabad’s administrative affairs. The four Secretaries would be assigned responsibilities for different administrative groups and departments.
The proposed draft also recommends major changes to the powers and responsibilities of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). According to the draft, all powers and responsibilities of the CDA would be transferred to Islamabad’s local government. Other institutions working under the Local Government Act would also be brought under the local government.
However, law and order and Islamabad’s master planning would remain under the federal government. The proposal recommends that these matters be handled through a federal ministry or a governor.
Under the proposed model, elections for the Islamabad Assembly would be conducted by the Election Commission, while federal institutions established to serve the entire country would continue operating in the capital as before.
The draft also recommends legislation to create a comprehensive legal framework for Islamabad and to put the new administrative system into practice.
The proposed administrative plan for the future of Islamabad was presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by a high-level special committee headed by Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was also part of the committee, while Rana Sanaullah and Federal Minister Musadik Malik also played a role in preparing the model.
The final decision on the proposed draft will now be made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. If the plan is implemented, significant changes are expected in Islamabad’s existing governance system, distribution of powers and civic administration.
The proposed model for Islamabad is being viewed as an important administrative experiment in the context of the government’s broader discussion on the creation of new provinces and administrative units in the country.
