Government of the Islamabad Capital Territory

The government of the Islamabad Capital Territory, a federal territory of Pakistan containing the capital city (Islamabad), is provided by the federal Government of Pakistan and by a number of territorial bodies. Article 258 of the Constitution of Pakistan stipulates that the President of Pakistan is responsible for establishing the government of the federal capital and the Parliament of Pakistan makes laws for the territory. Although the federal government retains strategic power over the territory, the day to day government is carried out by a number of bodies, which have been established over the years.

There have been occasional suggestions and demands for the creation of an Islamabad Legislative Assembly, similar to the legislatures of other capital territories and districts such as the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. In 2011, a senior federal minister, Babar Awan, suggested such an assembly might be created in the near future. One possible reason for the suggestion was the haphazard system of local government in the Territory. The urban areas of west Islamabad were governed directly by the appointed Capital Development Authority (CDA), which had been established on 14 June 1960, was responsible for building the capital. The rural areas in east Islamabad were administered as a group of twelve tehsils (sub-districts), although elections had not been held for the tehsil councils for several years.

In January 2023, a petition was lodged with the Islamabad High Court, calling for the creation of a territorial legislature, similar to ones in Australia and India. The petition noted that provincial powers were exercised by the unelected Chief Commissioner and that territorial laws were made by elected representatives from across the country rather than by representatives from Islamabad.

The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) was established in 1980, and is led by a Chief Commissioner, who holds powers similar to a provincial government. The Islamabad High Court, established in 2007 (dissolved in 2008, re-established in 2010) is the senior court of the territory and is equivalent to the four provincial high courts.

The Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (MCI), established in 2015, is the municipal authority and is equivalent to a district government, as the upper tier of the local government in the territory. The CDA has been gradually transferring many of its roles to the MCI, but the CDA continues to have some government roles.

At the most local level, there are 101 union councils, though this is due to increase to 125 councils.