The federal government has prepared a wide-ranging reform plan to overhaul the governance structure of Islamabad Capital Territory, proposing an elected local government, transfer of administrative powers, and a shift towards a unified smart city model.
The plan is aimed at improving service delivery and long-term urban planning in the federal capital, which has expanded far beyond its original role as a planned administrative city.
Titled the ICT Governance Model, the 138-page report was prepared by a high-level committee led by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and has already been presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
At the heart of the proposal is the creation of a representative Islamabad Capital Territory Government with administrative and financial autonomy similar to a provincial government, while keeping Islamabad’s federal status intact.
Under the proposed structure, a 27-member Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly will be formed. It will include 21 directly elected members, five reserved seats for women, and one seat for minorities.
The assembly will elect its own head, who may be designated either as chief minister or mayor, with the final title to be decided by the federal government.
According to the plan, all powers except law and order and master planning will be transferred to the ICT government, while those two areas will remain under federal control because of Islamabad’s status as the capital.
Administrative functions currently handled by the CDA and various federal ministries and departments will also be shifted to the new ICT setup to reduce overlap, duplication, and institutional fragmentation.
The reform package also proposes a comprehensive Islamabad Capital Territory Government Act, which would merge existing local government and development laws into a single legal framework.
For implementation, the report recommends the formation of several committees, including a legislative committee to prepare laws, a finance committee to work out resource allocation and use of local taxes, and a transition committee to oversee the phased transfer of powers.
The report says the reforms are not expected to create a major additional financial burden, as the focus is on reorganizing and integrating existing institutions rather than building entirely new structures.
Another major part of the plan is the proposed Islamabad Smart City Model, under which the capital would be developed as a modern, environmentally responsive, and citizen-focused city.
The model is built around three broad goals: turning Islamabad into a nature capital through eco-tourism and protection of natural resources, promoting culture and heritage to strengthen urban identity and economic activity, and creating a more open and inclusive capital with stronger public participation and international connectivity.
To improve service delivery, the report proposes six specialied bodies for health, education, social welfare, tourism and culture, environment and climate change, and digital and e-governance.
Each institution would be led by a professional head and operate under a performance-based accountability system.
The reform agenda also includes an integrated digital governance platform covering land and property management, licensing, taxation, identity verification, complaint handling, and service monitoring to improve transparency and efficiency.
The implementation plan has been spread over five years, starting with legal and institutional changes, followed by the establishment of bodies, digital integration, and performance consolidation.
If approved and implemented, the plan would mark one of the biggest structural changes in Islamabad’s governance and could reshape the capital into a more modern, efficient, and digitally managed city.
