ISLAMABAD: President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Sardar Tahir Mehmood has announced that the ICCI will hold an “Islamabad Governance and Provincial Status Convention 2026” on September 25, 2026, to initiate an inclusive consultation on the future governance structure and status of Islamabad.
Addressing a hugely attended Press Conference here on Tuesday at the Chamber House, he said that Islamabad remains governed under the 1960 ordinance, introduced when the federal capital was new and largely undeveloped. With its population approaching 2.5 million, the system can no longer meet the city’s growing administrative, urban, and service-delivery needs.
Sardar Tahir Mahmood said citizens of Islamabad lack an elected, effective forum to seek answers on sanitation, water supply, traffic management, infrastructure, taxation, and municipal services. Members of the National Assembly also lack authority over several key matters, while overlapping federal and administrative institutions have created unclear accountability.
The absence of an elected Mayor since 2021 further highlights the weaknesses of the current local government system. He said that “Islamabad needs more than a mayor; it needs a chief executive elected by the people and answerable to their representatives. He also called for a transparent financial framework.
Although Islamabad collects various taxes and fees, it needs a clear legal and fiscal formula based on its population, responsibilities, and resource requirements.
Sardar Tahir Mehmood said that various governance models and proposed legal frameworks for Islamabad are currently under discussion, but the stakeholders for whom these arrangements are being considered must be meaningfully consulted. The convention will therefore bring together the business community, trade associations, bar councils, civil society, academia, professionals and residents of Islamabad on a common platform.
Sardar Tahir Mehmood said Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi has agreed to attend the convention as Chief Guest. Political representatives from all major parties will also be invited, as ICCI believes that Islamabad’s governance is a collective civic matter that should be discussed beyond political affiliations.
The “ICCI is an apolitical platform, and our objective is not to support or oppose any political party or particular model. We want all stakeholders to sit together, present their views and contribute to a meaningful roadmap for the future governance of Islamabad,” he said.
He emphasized that the convention was not the initiative of a few individuals but a collective effort of Islamabad’s stakeholders, and called for active participation and practical recommendations to make the consultation broad-based and result-oriented.
