The federal cabinet has approved a new local government system for Islamabad.
Under the new proposal, the capital will be split into three separate areas, each with its own 21-member council and its own mayor.
The councils will have general members chosen by the public, plus set-aside seats for women and minorities.
The bill still has a way to go. It heads next to the Interior Standing Committee, then to the Senate and the National Assembly, where lawmakers will need to approve it before it becomes law.
The federal government of Pakistan is working to pass a new local government law for Islamabad before the current ordinance expires on September 5.
The deadline is significant because, if the new law is not passed in time, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) could be required to begin preparations for local elections under the city’s existing boundaries.
Islamabad has not had an elected local government for several years. Its only local election was held in 2015-16, when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won, and Sheikh Ansar Aziz became the capital’s first mayor.
Since then, successive attempts to hold another local election have been delayed amid changes to the legal framework and electoral boundaries.
What will change under Islamabad new local govt system?
Under the proposed system, Islamabad would be divided into three town corporations. Each would have a mayor and two deputy mayors serving four-year terms.
The mayor and deputy mayors would not be elected directly by voters. Instead, they would be chosen by union council chairmen.
The councils would also include reserved representation for women, farmers or labourers, traders or businesspeople, young people and non-Muslim communities.
The government says the new structure would bring decision-making closer to residents and improve the delivery of municipal services.
Some responsibilities currently handled by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), including drainage and aspects of local development, could gradually be transferred to the new town corporations.
Islamabad new local govt system faces opposition
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has directed its members to oppose the bill at the committee stage. There is also the possibility of cooperation between the PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in opposing the legislation when it reaches parliament.
The government’s ability to secure support from coalition partners could therefore prove important as the bill moves through both the Senate and the National Assembly.
The Interior Standing Committee is expected to consider the bill first.
If approved, it will then need to pass both houses of parliament before the 5 September deadline.
Even after the legislation is approved, the process of holding local elections will not be immediate. The Election Commission would still need to redraw Islamabad’s local government boundaries and complete the necessary electoral preparations.
The proposed changes therefore mark the beginning of a process that could eventually restore an elected local government to the federal capital after years of delays.
