PML-N chapter in Islamabad backs granting the city provincial status — Dawn
In Pakistan, the Islamabad chapter of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has backed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's proposal to grant the capital provincial status. Dawn reports.
Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, chair of the National Assembly's parliamentary committee on interior affairs and a lawmaker from Islamabad, said provincial status has long been a demand of the capital's residents. According to him, city residents pay various taxes, including income tax, stamp duty and land transfer charges, but do not receive a share of funds under the NFC Award.
Proposed governance model
According to the publication, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. The committee has already submitted recommendations to the prime minister on delegating federal powers to the Islamabad Capital Territory as a federal unit.
The proposal provides for the creation of a 27-member Islamabad Assembly. Of these, 21 members are proposed to be elected directly, with seven representatives from each of the three National Assembly constituencies. Another five seats are envisaged for women under reserved quotas, and one for a representative of religious minorities.
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The Assembly would elect a leader, who could be called chief minister or mayor; this person would serve as head of the executive branch. The post of chief commissioner is proposed to be replaced by that of chief secretary. At the same time, law and order and master planning would remain under the federal government's authority.
Risk of further election postponement
Implementation of the initiative could further delay local elections in Islamabad. Experts cited by the publication believe that if the authorities continue with the plan, amendments to the Local Government Act or a new law, as well as changes to the Capital Development Authority Ordinance, may be needed before new electoral constituency boundaries are determined.
The Election Commission of Pakistan is already carrying out delimitation and, according to the schedule, is to publish information on the final electoral constituencies and Union Councils on October 14, 2026. The term of the last local government body in Islamabad ended in February 2021, after which elections were repeatedly postponed.
In January 2026, President Asif Ali Zardari approved an ordinance that replaced the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation with three municipal corporations and expanded the powers of the administrator appointed by the authorities.
