The federal government has decided to restructure Islamabad’s local governance by dividing the capital into three separate town corporations, sources confirmed.
Under the proposed local government system, which will be developed along the lines of the Punjab model, Islamabad will have three mayors and six deputy mayors. The existing Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) is expected to be phased out as part of the overhaul.
According to officials familiar with the plan, each town corporation will be headed by one mayor and assisted by two deputy mayors. Unlike previous arrangements, these positions will not be filled through direct public voting. Instead, union council chairmen will elect the mayors and deputy mayors through an indirect process.
The proposal suggests forming the three town corporations based on Islamabad’s three National Assembly constituencies. The new town administrations are expected to enjoy administrative and financial autonomy to improve local governance.
Sources further revealed that several responsibilities currently held by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will gradually be transferred to the town corporations. These include authority over sanitation services, drainage systems, and development projects.
The tenure of mayors and deputy mayors has been proposed as four years. Once the necessary legal amendments are finalized, the Election Commission of Pakistan will announce fresh delimitations and a new local government election schedule.
