For the first time in over a decade, Islamabad’s residents may soon have a say in how their city is run. Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal shared the proposal for the federal capital to be transformed into a modern, citizen-led, sustainable and globally competitive model city for Pakistan and the wider region.
Speaking at a public consultation on the proposed Islamabad Capital Territory Governance Model at Fatima Jinnah Park, the Minister said Islamabad must move beyond outdated administrative arrangements and become a capital that reflects the aspirations, rights and participation of its residents.
The Planning Minister laid out the Planning Commission’s vision for an inclusive, efficient, and sustainable capital, one that for the first time would have its own elected assembly and a chief executive accountable to the people who live there.
At the heart of the proposal is a 27-member Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly, comprising 21 directly elected seats, five reserved for women, and one for minorities, that would elect its own Chief Minister or Mayor. The ICT Government would have administrative and financial independence comparable to a provincial government, with full transfer of responsibilities across health, education, environment, and public services to the elected setup.
“Islamabad must not only be the seat of the Federal Government; it must become a model city for governance, sustainability, innovation and quality of life,” Prof. Ahsan Iqbal said. “As ICT has grown over the years, we need a shift to democratic, accountable and citizen-centred governance in Islamabad Capital Territory.”
The event was presided by Minister Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal who was joined by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, MNA Anjum Aqeel, MNA Khurram Nawaz, Barrister Zafarullah and prominent representatives of civil society of Islamabad and concerned citizens.
The exercise itself was set in motion at the top. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a high-level committee to review how Islamabad is governed and recommend a new model fit for the future. The committee completed its work, and in an unusual move, the PM directed that the draft report be placed in the public domain before any decisions are taken, inviting citizens, experts, and civil society to weigh in first.
The consultation marked a significant step toward giving Islamabad’s citizens a stronger voice in the management of their city. The proposed framework calls for the creation of an elected Islamabad Capital Territory Assembly and a locally accountable chief executive, aimed at ending years of fragmented governance and limited public representation in the capital.
Prof. Iqbal said Islamabad, with a population now exceeding 2.4 million, had outgrown the governance model designed for a much smaller administrative town. He noted that the last meaningful local government representation in the capital came through elections held under the PML-N government in 2015, adding that the city now required a governance structure aligned with its expanding population, growing service needs and emerging role as a national hub of innovation, education, culture and economic activity.
“The city has expanded and diversified, but its governance has remained fragmented,” he said. “A capital city must be efficient, inclusive, green, technology-driven and responsive to its people. Islamabad can and should become a benchmark for other cities to follow.”
The Federal Government would retain control over law and order and master planning, reflecting Islamabad’s status as the seat of national power.
The proposals go beyond electoral politics. Six new specialized authorities would be set up under the ICT Government: the ICT Health Authority, ICT Education Authority, Social Welfare and Inclusion Authority, Tourism and Culture Authority, Environment and Climate Authority, and Digital and E-Governance Authority. Each is designed to bring focused, professional management to services that millions of residents depend on daily.
The move reflects the government’s commitment to transparency, public participation and evidence-based policymaking.
The Minister said Islamabad’s future must be built around the principles of sustainability, accessibility, resilience and technology. He outlined a broader vision of Islamabad as a nature capital, a centre of culture and heritage, and an open city that protects green spaces, promotes inclusion, supports innovation and creates economic opportunity for citizens.
The consultation also highlighted a proposed SMART City vision for Islamabad — Sustainable, Modern, Accessible, Resilient and Technology-driven — aimed at using digital infrastructure, data systems and integrated governance platforms to improve service delivery and strengthen the relationship between citizens and government.
Prof. Iqbal said technology must be used not as a slogan but as a practical tool to solve everyday problems, from waste management and traffic planning to public health, education, environmental protection and citizen feedback.
“A smart city is not defined by technology alone; it is defined by how effectively it improves the lives of its citizens,” he said. “Our goal is to make Islamabad a living example of good governance, environmental responsibility and inclusive urban development.”
The event brought together elected representatives, academics, urban planners, legal experts, civil society leaders and citizens, who welcomed the direction of reforms while emphasizing the need for a clear election timeline, meaningful devolution of powers and safeguards against administrative overlap.
Participants also stressed that Islamabad’s governance model should protect public spaces, strengthen municipal services, preserve the city’s natural character and ensure that all communities — including rural areas within ICT — are represented in decision-making.
Prof. Iqbal assured participants that public feedback would be incorporated before the report is submitted to the Federal Government for final consideration.
“Lasting governance reforms must be built on public trust, participation and collective ownership,” he said. “This consultation is part of our commitment to ensure that Islamabad’s future is shaped not only by government offices but by the people who live, work and invest their hopes in this city.”
The proposed model, if approved, could mark one of the most consequential governance shifts in Islamabad’s history — moving the capital from a centrally administered territory toward a democratic, accountable and citizen-focused urban government.
For a city long governed primarily as the seat of the state, the reform plan signals a new ambition: to make Islamabad not only Pakistan’s capital, but a national model for how cities can be governed in the 21st century.