Local Government System in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)

The Local Governments in ICT will consist of 50 Union Councils (UC) and a Metropolitan Corporation (MC) for Islamabad City.

The municipal functions under the ICTLGA 2015 will be divided between the UCs and the MC. The Union Councils or Metropolitan Corporation may, subject to the vetting and approval by the Government, by notification in the official gazette, levy any tax, fee, rate, rent, toll, charge or surcharge.

With the creation of local bodies system in Islamabad, the CDA would lose many municipal and development functions to the local government and the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation. According to the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, the MC would execute and manage development plans. It would provide and maintain municipal services like water supply, sewage treatment, sanitation and solid waste collection, roads and streets, street lighting, playgrounds, open spaces, graveyards, maintain regional markets and commercial centers. The MC would also collect approved taxes, rates, rents, tolls, charges, fines and penalties, regulate markets and issue licenses, permits, grant permissions and impose penalties for violations, manage properties, assets and funds vested in the local government. Presently, all these functions are being performed by CDA

Elections will be on non-party basis and the term of the Local Government shall be five years from the date of its first meeting. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor can be removed from their office by two third majorities of the members.

In case of Union Councils, they will be a multiple member constituencies and members of each UC would be elected directly by the voters registered in the Union Council through secret ballot on the basis of adult franchise. A voter will have to cast six votes at a time for electing Members and Chairman and Vice Chairman of a Union Council.

The members of the MC on reserved seats would be elected by the members of the union councils present and voting. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are to be elected as joint candidates by the chairmen of all UCs and members elected on the reserved seats