Pakistan’s federal capital has had a long and uneven journey toward establishing an elected local government (LG). Although multiple laws have been enacted for local governance since the 1970s, the city elected its first mayor only in 2015, nearly five decades after the capital was relocated from Karachi to Islamabad.

Our previous story on Islamabad’s LG system covered the challenges to the LG elections in the federal capital. This one traces the evolution of the local government framework for the capital city.

Where did it all begin?

The journey began with the promulgation of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Ordinance, 1960, which created the CDA as the body responsible for development planning and execution in the new capital. A 1966 amendment to the ordinance empowered the authority to perform municipal functions under the Municipal Administration Ordinance, 1960. This placed both municipal and development responsibilities under a federal agency without any elected local representation.

In 1980, the Islamabad Capital Territory (Administration) Order established the office of the Chief Commissioner ICT with powers comparable to those of a provincial government within the federal capital.

For most of Islamabad’s history, municipal functions have remained with the CDA, which operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Interior. This has meant that effectively the Federal Interior Minister remains in-charge of local affairs in the capital with both CDA and the Islamabad administration reporting to him to run these affairs. For some time, CDA has also reported to the Cabinet Division and the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) with a dedicated minister looking after it, who generally used to be a ruling party MNA elected from Islamabad.

When were elected local governments first introduced?

Two predecessor local government laws existed before the current 2015 framework. The first is the Federal Capital Territory Local Government Ordinance of 1979, which provided for elected local governments and required the Federal Government to appoint an Election Authority for delimitations and elections. However, no elections were ever held under this law.

In 2002, a new set of ordinances introduced a more detailed structure. The ICT Local Government Ordinance 2002 provided the substantive system of local governance, while the ICT Local Government Elections Ordinance 2002 laid down the procedures for elections. Under these laws, the Zila Nazim was to head the local government, and the CDA Chairman was to report to the Nazim. Despite this system, no elected local governments were established in ICT, and the entire framework remained dormant.

So, when did elections finally take place?

After the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment reinforced the constitutional protection for local governments, the provinces enacted new local government laws. Islamabad was the last among the federating units to do so. In August 2015, Parliament enacted the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act (ICTLGA) 2015, which established the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and created a fresh institutional and electoral structure.

Under this law, municipal functions were transferred from CDA to MCI. Unlike the 2002 ordinances, however, the CDA was not placed under the control of the elected mayor legally. Nevertheless, the first elected Mayor, Sheikh Anser Aziz, was later appointed as CDA Chairman through an executive order, which was outside the statutory scheme.

What did the 2015 system look like?

The ICTLGA created a two-tier system consisting of the MCI and Union Councils (UC).

Each Union Council had 13 members, including a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, six general members, two women members, one youth member, one peasant or worker member, and one non-Muslim member. All members, including the Chairman and Vice Chairman, were to be directly elected. For the 2015 elections, the number of Union Councils was notified as 50. However, this number was increased to 101 in 2022, on the pretext of an increase in population as documented in the Population Census 2017, and then to 125 in 2023.

The MCI consists of all Union Council Chairmen and members elected on reserved seats for women, peasant or worker, youth, and non-Muslim communities. General members, i.e., UC Chairmen, elect representatives on reserved seats, after which all members elect a Mayor and Deputy Mayors. The original law provided for one Deputy Mayor, but an amendment later increased this number to three.

What changes have been made since 2015?

Since its enactment, the ICTLGA has undergone four attempts at restructuring the LG structure. Of these, three have remained successful.

2015 Amendment: Only two months after the enactment of ICTLGA, an ordinance in October 2015 revised provisions relating to delimitations, the number of Deputy Mayors, and polling stations. Parliament adopted these changes in 2016.

2021 Ordinance: In 2021, the then federal government introduced the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance, which proposed a different structure, including a directly elected Mayor and the transfer of certain CDA and ICT Administration functions to MCI. This ordinance never received parliamentary approval and was declared void by the Islamabad High Court, restoring ICTLGA 2015.

2023 Amendment: In 2023, Parliament approved an amendment revising the number of union councils to 125, giving permanence to an executive notification on this matter.

2024 Amendment: In August 2024, Parliament amended the composition of union councils by increasing the number of general members from six to nine and reducing the number of reserved seats for women from two to one. The amendment also introduced indirect elections for reserved seats and for the offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman.

Pending Amendment: The Election Commission of Pakistan considers some provisions of the 2024 changes to the ICTLA unclear and has required clarifications before the next LG elections can be scheduled. The federal government has introduced a clarifying amendment bill in the National Assembly that is currently with its Standing Committee on Interior.

Where does Islamabad stand today?

Despite multiple legislative frameworks over nearly five decades, Islamabad has had only one elected mayor and only one completed local government term. Frequent legal changes, overlapping mandates of CDA, MCI, and the ICT Administration, and repeated use of ordinances have slowed the evolution of a stable local governance system.

With important amendments still pending and local government elections overdue since 2021, Islamabad’s local governance framework remains in transition. The capital continues to await clarity, continuity, and political commitment to a functioning and devolved democratic system.