ISLAMABAD Jan 6: The federal government has decided to divide Islamabad into three town corporations. Under the new local government system, Islamabad will have three mayors and six deputy mayors.
On Monday, the federal government finalized preparations for a major change in the local government system in Islamabad, deciding to split the federal capital into three town corporations, each with its own mayor and deputy mayors.
According to sources, under the new system Islamabad will have three mayors and six deputy mayors, and approval has been granted to model the local government system on the Punjab model. Each town corporation will have one mayor and two deputy mayors.
Sources said that mayors and deputy mayors will not be elected directly by the public. Instead, union council chairmen will elect them indirectly. As part of this decision, preparations are underway to abolish the existing Metropolitan Corporation system in Islamabad.
According to sources, the federal cabinet has approved amendments to the local government laws, and a presidential ordinance is likely to be issued. Under the proposed plan, Islamabad will be divided into three towns based on the three National Assembly constituencies.
Sources also said that the proposal includes granting administrative and financial autonomy to the town corporations, and several powers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will be transferred to the town corporations in phases.
Under the new system, mayors will have authority over sanitation, drainage, and development projects, with the government claiming that this will make local-level administration more effective.