Ahsan Iqbal Proposes 27-Member Assembly for Islamabad, 15 New Provinces

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has proposed a new governance model for Islamabad featuring a 27-member assembly, while suggesting that Pakistan could have 15 to 18 provinces or administrative units to improve governance and administrative efficiency.

Speaking at a consultative meeting with journalists and civil society representatives in Islamabad, Ahsan Iqbal said all proposals regarding the new governance model for the federal capital had been prepared. He said consultations were being held with different segments of society on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The federal minister said Islamabad currently lacked an effective representative forum through which residents could raise their issues and seek solutions. As a result, the federal government had to directly deal with many of the capital’s administrative matters.

He said recommendations would be submitted to the prime minister after the consultation process was completed.

Under the proposed governance model, a 27-member Islamabad assembly would be established, comprising 21 directly elected members, five reserved seats for women and one seat for minorities.

The proposal envisages that most administrative affairs of Islamabad would be handled by elected representatives, while key areas including law and order and master planning would remain under the federal government’s control. The establishment of 27 administrative departments in Islamabad has also been proposed.

The proposed model would retain Islamabad’s existing three National Assembly seats. It also proposes seven local government seats within each National Assembly constituency.

Ahsan Iqbal also stressed the need for broader administrative reforms in Pakistan, saying the country’s existing administrative structure was no longer adequate to meet the demands of a growing population and changing governance requirements.

He suggested that Pakistan could either establish empowered local governments or increase the number of provinces or administrative units to between 15 and 18.

According to the minister, powers transferred from the federal government to the provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment had not been adequately devolved from the provincial level to districts. He said effective and empowered local governments could reduce the need for creating new provinces, but reforms to the existing administrative structure were necessary.

Referring to the recent incident at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Ahsan Iqbal said such incidents also highlighted the need for administrative reforms in the federal capital.

The proposals concerning Islamabad’s new governance model and the creation of additional provinces are currently at the consultative and preliminary stage. The recommendations will be submitted to the prime minister after consultations, while any constitutional or administrative changes would have to go through the relevant legal procedures.