ISLAMABAD: The business community of the federal capital called for granting Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) provincial status, announcing that the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) is set to hold an event titled “Islamabad Governance and Provincial Status Convention 2026” today (Friday).
ICCI president Sardar Tahir Mehmood said Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi will attend the event as the chief guest. The event will bring together representatives of key sections of society for a comprehensive discussion on the future governance structure and constitutional and administrative status of the federal capital.
The convention is designed as a common forum for the business community, trade associations, bar councils, civil society, academia, professional bodies and residents of Islamabad to examine the city’s governance challenges and put forward practical proposals for a system that is more representative, accountable and responsive. Representatives of major political parties, relevant institutions and different civic segments would also attend, ensuring that the discussion encompasses a wide range of perspectives.
ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood said “Islamabad’s future cannot be decided without Islamabad,” further elaborating that the purpose of the convention was to give stakeholders an opportunity to place their views on record, discuss areas of agreement and disagreement, and develop practical recommendations rather than proceed with a predetermined solution.
Mehmood said the realities of Islamabad had changed fundamentally since the existing governance framework was introduced in 1960. At that time, he noted, the federal capital was still in its formative stage. “Today, with the population approaching 2.5 million, Islamabad faces a very different set of administrative, economic, urban and public-service demands.”
He said the people of Islamabad did not currently have an effective elected forum capable of providing accountability on matters directly affecting their daily lives, including sanitation, water supply, traffic, infrastructure and municipal services. The presence of multiple federal and administrative institutions with overlapping responsibilities had also made lines of authority and accountability less clear.
Referring to the absence of an elected Mayor since 2021, Sardar Tahir Mehmood said the existing local governance arrangement required serious reconsideration. “Islamabad needs more than a mayor; it needs a chief executive elected by the people and answerable to their representatives,” he said.
He further stressed that governance reform must be accompanied by a clearly defined financial mechanism. While Islamabad generates revenue through taxes, fees and economic activity, he said, the capital needs a transparent legal and fiscal framework that reflects its population, administrative responsibilities, service-delivery obligations and development requirements. He stressed, however, that decisions concerning the capital should not be developed without the participation of those who live, work and invest there.
He made it clear that ICCI would maintain its apolitical character throughout the process. The Chamber, he said, was not supporting or opposing any political party and was not promoting any particular governance model. “We want all stakeholders to sit together, hear one another and contribute to a meaningful roadmap for Islamabad’s future,” Sardar Tahir Mehmood said.
He described the convention as a collective civic initiative rather than an effort of any individual or group and urged stakeholders to participate constructively, to produce practical, workable and consensus-oriented recommendations. He expressed the hope that the convention would open the way for a continuing, structured dialogue on Islamabad’s governance and ultimately contribute to a framework capable of responding to the needs of its citizens and the demands of a modern federal capital.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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