Elected assembly, chief executive proposed to govern Islamabad

The committee has recommended that elections to the proposed assembly be conducted under the supervision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Members of the proposed assembly would also be subject to Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, which deal with qualifications and disqualifications for elected representatives.

Elected chief executive proposed. One of the most significant recommendations is the creation of an elected chief executive for the federal capital. Under the proposal, the officeholder could be designated either as a mayor or chief minister and would be accountable to the elected ICT Assembly.

The draft also proposes the appointment of a chief secretary and four secretaries to manage the capital's administrative affairs. As many as 27 administrative departments have been proposed under the new Islamabad government. Key sectors including health, education, environment and civic services would fall under the jurisdiction of the proposed elected government.

However, law and order and master planning are proposed to remain under federal control, preserving the federal government's authority over some of the capital's most sensitive functions. CDA powers could be transferred. The proposed model also envisages transferring the powers and functions of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to the Islamabad Capital Territory government.

Functions currently performed by other institutions operating under the Islamabad Local Government Act, 2015, have also been proposed for transfer to the new ICT administration.

Under the draft framework, institutions established specifically for Islamabad would be required to serve the entire Islamabad Capital Territory, while federal institutions established to serve the whole country would continue operating from the capital under their existing federal mandates. New legislation proposed.

The special committee has recommended comprehensive and unified legislation to establish the proposed governance structure. The plan would also require necessary legal and constitutional changes associated with the existing framework, including changes concerning the CDA Ordinance, 1960.

The proposed ICT government would be empowered to formulate its own rules of business for conducting administrative affairs. The committee that worked on the governance model included Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah and Federal Minister Musadik Malik, along with senior administrative and financial officials.

The interior, cabinet, finance, education and national health services secretaries also participated in developing the proposed framework, alongside the Islamabad commissioner and CDA chairman.