Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has signed the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance, bringing significant changes to the local government system in the federal capital. With the presidential assent, the ordinance has formally come into effect, initiating a restructuring of the municipal framework in Islamabad.
According to details, the approval of the ordinance has paved the way for a new local governance structure. Under the new law, three town corporations will be established based on the three National Assembly constituencies, while the existing Metropolitan Corporation has been abolished.
The ordinance stipulates that each town corporation will have one mayor and two deputy mayors. It further states that the federal government will determine the total number of union councils, and each union council will comprise nine general councillors, along with four reserved seats.
Under the new ordinance, the tenure of the town corporations established in Islamabad has been fixed at four years, during which elected representatives will oversee municipal affairs and civic services. Government sources say the new system aims to devolve authority to the grassroots level and improve the efficiency of local administration.
