Delhi-style govt model proposed for Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The sub-committee, constituted for administrative reforms, has recommended setting up the Islamabad Capital Territory Government on the model of New Delhi.

This recommendation has been made in the interim report of the committee formed under the chairmanship of Barrister Zafarullah. “A representative government and democratic control be established in Islamabad. Powers should be transferred from the Federation to Islamabad government,” the report recommended.

The report suggested instead of scattered departments, institutions should be formed in a coordinated manner. A suitable administrative structure should be created as a unit of the Federation, the report said, adding this structure should be on the model of the provincial government of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The sub-committee will meet next week to finalise its recommendations. The committee will submit its suggestions to the ministerial committee constituted under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.

As recommended, there will be an elected assembly of Islamabad (ICT) whose representatives will be directly elected. The assembly will not have subjects such as home, police and master planning. The Islamabad Assembly will elect its leader, who will be called the mayor. The mayor will be accountable to the assembly. ICT departments will be set up on the lines of provincial departments. Their numbers will be small and will be divided into four groups — Social, Economic, Development and General.

According to the interim report, all the departments except home, police and master planning will work under the mayor. Home, police and master planning departments will be under the federal government. All the institutions, including CDA, will work under the ICT government. Instead of chief commissioner, there will be a chief secretary.

As suggested, there will be an IG police. All the departments will be headed by a secretary. Home, police and master planning departments will be accountable to the federal government through the chief secretary. The ICT government will have complete administrative and financial autonomy like Gilgit-Baltistan. It will formulate rules to run its affairs.

To achieve these objectives, Islamabad Capital Territory Act 2025 will be passed. For interim management, the president can issue an order under Article 258 of the Constitution on the advice of federal government, as was issued in GB Order 2018. The Rules of Business 1973 will also be amended accordingly. The proposed legal draft would be prepared in a month.

The committee report said there will be no need for a new financial arrangement because most of the existing ICT institutions will be restructured. The ICT government will have two schedules. Schedule A will have the home, police and master planning departments, which will be under the federal government. Schedule B will have 26 departments, which will work under the ICT government.