Govt reviews Islamabad Governance reform progress

August 7, 2025 (MLN): To review the progress of governance reforms in Islamabad, a session was convened under the ICT Governance Reforms Committee, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal.

The committee formed by the Prime Minister, aims to address long-standing administrative and legislative challenges that have impeded effective public service delivery in the federal capital.

Participants included Senator Barrister Zafarullah Khan, MNAs Raja Khurram Nawaz and Anjum Aqeel, Member Governance Dr. Adnan Rafiqe and senior officials from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), and the Ministry of Planning.

During the meeting, Senator Zafarullah Khan presented the subcommittee’s findings, pointing to the absence of a coherent governance model and legislative clarity as key gaps affecting Islamabad’s administrative efficiency.

He highlighted that these deficiencies have resulted in administrative overlap, confusion, and persistent delays in delivering essential services.

Emphasizing the need for citizen-centric reforms, Ahsan Iqbal stated that democratic participation, transparency and efficient service delivery must form the foundation of any new governance framework.

He stressed that Islamabad’s residents deserve a responsive, modern and inclusive system one that could serve as a replicable model for other urban centers across Pakistan. Given Islamabad’s manageable size he added it presents an ideal testing ground for piloting reforms before national rollout.

A central issue discussed was the continued reliance on the 1980 Presidential Order No. 18 a legal remnant from the martial law era. Participants agreed on the urgent need to democratize and update this outdated framework to ensure effective public representation and legislative legitimacy.

The meeting wrapped up with a shared resolve to fast-track governance reforms aiming to transform Islamabad into a model city that reflects democratic values, improves service delivery and enhances quality of life for its residents.

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