ISLAMABAD – The federal government has announced that the issue of creating new provinces will be debated in both the National Assembly and Senate during their sessions in October.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the media that sessions of the National Assembly and Senate would not be held in September. However, parliamentary sessions scheduled for October would include discussions on the creation of new provinces.
He said Parliament was the appropriate forum for discussing the issue of creating new provinces and that the matter should be debated in the Parliament House.
Islamabad not being made a province
Addressing speculation about Islamabad’s status, Chaudhry clarified that the federal capital was not being turned into a separate province.
“Islamabad is not being made a province; rather, we are moving towards adopting a new governance model,” he said.
The minister stressed that there had been no discussion about making Islamabad a province.
His comments came amid reports that the government was considering an alternative governance structure for the federal capital instead of the existing local government system.
Proposed new governance model for Islamabad
According to earlier reports, a proposal was under consideration to introduce a new administrative and governance system in Islamabad. Under the proposed model, the capital could have a 27-member assembly, while a chief executive could be designated as either a chief minister or mayor.
Another proposal under consideration involves making Islamabad an autonomous administrative unit and introducing a new local tax mechanism to generate revenue for the capital.
The issue has gained attention following the expiry of the Islamabad local government ordinance. The Islamabad Local Government Ordinance, issued on January 9, 2026, completed its stipulated period after remaining in force for 240 days.
The government’s decision to hold a parliamentary debate on new provinces in October could bring renewed discussion over the longstanding demands for administrative restructuring and the creation of additional provinces in Pakistan.
