Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026

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PART I]    THE GAZETTE OF PAKISTAN, EXTRA., JAN. 12,  2026 157 
 
 
     
ISLAMABAD, MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026  
 
 
PART I 
 
Acts, Ordinances, President’s Orders and Regulations 
 
GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN 
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE 
 
Islamabad, the 10th January, 2026 
 
 F. No. 2(1)/2026-Pub.—The following Ordinance promulgated on  
9th January, 2026 by the President is hereby published for general information:- 
 
ORDINANCE NO. II OF 2026 
 
AN 
 
ORDINANCE 
 
further to amend the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015 
 
 WHEREAS it is expedient further to amend the Islamabad Capital 
Territory Local Government Act, 2015 (X of 2015), for the purposes hereinafter 
appearing; 
 
 
 
(157) 
 
 Price : Rs. 10.00 
 
[10049(2026)/Ex. Gaz.] 
 
 
158 THE GAZETTE  OF  PAKISTAN,  EXTRA.,  JAN. 12,  2026 [PART I 
 
 
 AND WHEREAS, the Senate and the National Assembly are not in session 
and the Preside nt of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is satisfied that 
circumstances exist which render it necessary to take immediate action;  
 
 NOW, THEREFORE, in exercise of power conferred by clause (1) of 
Article 89 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakist an, 1973; the 
President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan is pleased to make and promu lgate the 
following Ordinance:- 
 
 1. Short title and commencement. —(1) This Ordinance may be 
called the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) 
Ordinance, 2026. 
 
 (2)  It shall come into force at once. 
 
 2.  General amendments, Act X of 2015. —In the Islamabad Capital 
Territory Local Government Act, 2015 (X of 2015), hereinafter referred to as the 
said Act. for words “Metropolitan Corporation”, wherever occu rring the words 
“Town Corporation” or “Town Corporations” shall be substituted respectively. 
 
 3.  Amendment of section 2,  Act X of 2015. —In the said Act, in 
section 2,— 
(a)  after clause (t), the following new clause (ta) shall be inserted, 
namely:-  
“(ta)  “Head” means Mayor of a Town Corporation or Chairman 
of a Union Council;”; 
(b)  for clause (m), the following shall be substituted, namely:-  
“(m)   “Deputy Mayor”  means a Deputy Mayor of a Town 
Corporation elected under section 16;”; 
(c)  for clause (x), the following shall In substituted, namely:- 
“(x)  “local government”  means a Union Council or the Town 
Corporation established under this Act and shall include the 
administrator appointed by the Government;”; 
 (d)  for clause (aa), the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“(aa)  “Mayor” means the Mayor of the Town Corporation elected 
as such under section 16;”; 
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(e)  clause (cc) shall be omitted; and  
(f)  after clause (ww) the following new clause shall be inserted, 
namely:- 
“(www) “Town Corporation”  means the Town Corporations  
notified as such under section 4;”. 
 4. Substitution of section 4, Act X of 2015. —In the said Act, for 
section 4, the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“4.  Local areas. —(1) For the purposes of this Act, the 
Government s hall, by notification, specify the Islamabad Capital 
Territory into three Town Corporations, each Town Corporation 
shall comprise, as far as practicable, to the territorial limits of a 
National Assembly constituency within Islamabad Capital 
Territory. 
(2)  Each Town Corporation shall comprise such number of 
Union Councils as may be notified by the Government. The Union 
Council shall be delimited on the basis of population equality, 
having regard to the latest official census and administrative 
convenience. 
(3)  The Government shall, by notification, specify the limits 
of each Union Council comprised therein, and shall declare 
whether any area shall be constituted as, merged into, or cease to 
be a Union Council accordingly. 
(4)  The Government may, by notific ation, after inviting 
public objections and suggestions in the prescribed manner, alter 
the limits of— 
(a)  a Town Corporation; or 
(b)  a Union Council, 
(5)  Any two or more adjoining Union Councils within a 
Town Corporation may, after inviting public obje ctions, by a 
resolution passed by a two -third majority of the total membership 
of each concerned Union Council, make a proposal to the 
Government for alteration of their respective boundaries, subject to 
the conditions specified in sub-section (4). 
(6) The  Government may alter the limits of a Town 
Corporation or Union Council under this section after the initiation 
160 THE GAZETTE  OF  PAKISTAN,  EXTRA.,  JAN. 12,  2026 [PART I 
 
 
of delimitation proceedings, but shall not alter such limits after the  
announcement of the election schedule for a local government 
election in the relevant area. 
(7)  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the 
Metropolitan Corporation functioning before the commencement 
of this Ordinance shall continue to exist and shall exercise and 
perform all powers, functions and duties under this Act until such 
time as the Government, by notification in the official Gazette, 
constitutes and notifies Town Corporations in accordance with 
section 4(1).”. 
 5.  Substitution of section 6, Act X of 2015. —In the said Act, for 
section 6, the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“6.  Local Government and Delimitation.—(1) There shall 
be towns corporations and such number of Union Councils as may 
be specified by the Government under section 4(2). 
(2)  The Government may, on the recommendation of the 
Ministry of Interior, by notification in the official Gazette, increase 
or decrease the number of Union Councils within a Town 
Corporations, provided that— 
(a)  the total number of Union Councils within Islamabad 
Capital Territory remains consistent with the prin ciples 
of population equality and administrative efficiency; 
and 
(b)  no such change shall be made after the announcement of 
the election schedule for a local government election. 
(3)  Election Commission, of Pakistan shall delimit and 
notify the Union Councils in the prescribed manner, on the basis of 
the principles laid down in section 9 of the Act, as early as possible 
under the Election Act, 2017 (XXXIII OF 2017).”. 
 6. Amendment of section 7, Act X of 2015 .—In the said Act, in 
section 7, sub-sections (2) and (3) shall be omitted. 
 7. Amendment of section 9, Act X of 2015 .—In the said Act, in 
section 9 for sub-sections (1) and (2) the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“(1)  Subject to this Act, the loca l governments constituted 
within the Islamabad Capital Territory shall be— 
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(a)  three Town Corporations; and 
(b) Union Councils comprised within such Town 
Corporations, as notified by the Government. 
(2)  The Government may, by notification, declare any area 
in Islamabad Capital Territory to be a Town Corporation.”. 
 8. Substitution of section 10, Act X of 2015 .—In the said Act, for 
section 10, the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“10.  Local  governments.—The Islamabad Capital Territory 
shall consist of three Town Corporations and such number of 
Union Councils. as provided in sections 11 and 12, respectively.”. 
 9. Substitution of section 12, Act X of 2015. —In the said Act, for 
section 12, the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“12.  Composition of the Town Corporations. —A Town 
Corporation shall consist of: 
(i) Mayor and two Deputy Mayors; 
(ii)  Chairmen of all Union Councils in its local area as 
general members; and 
(iii)  four women; 
(iv)  one peasant/ worker; 
(v) one trader/ businessman; 
(vi)  one youth member; and 
(vii)  one non-Muslim. 
 10. Omission of section 14, Act X of 2015. —In the said Act,  
section 14, shall be omitted. 
 11. Substitution of section 15, Act X of 2015. —in the said Act, for 
section 15, the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“15.  Election, of the members of th e Union Councils. — 
(1) The election of general members of a Union Council shall be 
held through secret ballot on the basis of adult franchise, in such 
manner as may he prescribed. 
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(2)  For the purpose of election of general members of a 
Union Council, the  entire Union Council shall be a multi -member 
ward. 
(3)  A voter member shall only cast one vote in- favor of the 
candidate of general member of his choice. 
(4)  The nine candidates securing highest number of votes in 
descending order, shall stand elected as general members: 
Provided that in case of equality of votes between two or 
more contesting candidates, the Returning Officer shall draw a lot 
in respect of such candidates and the candidate on whom the lot 
falls shall be deemed to have received the high est number of votes 
entitling him to be declared elected. 
(5)  The returned candidates elected under sub -section (4) 
may join a political party within thirty days of the publication in 
the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates. 
(6)  The members on reserved seats of Union Council shall 
be elected indirectly, through show of hands, by the general 
members of the Union Council. 
(7)  The Chairman and Vice -Chairman of Union Council 
shall be elected, as joint candidate, by the general members an d 
members on reserved seats of a Union Council, through show of 
hands, from amongst themselves. 
(8)  The returned candidates of Chairman, Vice -Chairman 
and members may join a political party within thirty days of 
notification of returned candidate.”. 
 12. Substitution of section 16, Act X of 2015. —In the said Act, for 
section 16, the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“16.  Election of the members of the Town Corporation.—
(1) A Chairman of a Union Council shall become a general 
member of the respective Town Corporation. 
(2)  The general members shall elect the members on 
reserved seats as specified in section 12, through show of hands, by 
majority of the members present, in the prescribed manner. 
 
PART I]    THE GAZETTE OF PAKISTAN, EXTRA., JAN. 12,  2026 163 
 
 
(3)  The members of the Town Corporations as mentioned in 
section 12 shall elect a Mayor and two Deputy Mayors, as joint 
candidates, through show of hands, by majority votes of members 
present through voting in the prescribed manner: 
Provided that only a member of the Town Corporation shall 
be eligible to contest the election for Mayor and Deputy Mayor.”. 
 13.  Amendment of section 29, Act X of 2015. —In the said Act, in 
section 29,— 
(a)  in sub -section (3), the words “which period shall not exceed six 
month” shall be omitted; 
(b)  after sub -section (4) the foll owing new sub -section (5) shall be 
added, namely:- 
“(5) Where a local government is not functional, the  
Government may appoint an Administrator to exercise the powers 
and perform the functions of the local government until an elected 
local government assumes office.”. 
 14.  Amendment of section 63, Act X of 2015. —In the said Act, in 
section 63,  after sub -section (3), the following new sub -section (3A) shall be 
inserted, namely:- 
“(3A)  A Deputy Mayor or a Vice-Chairman, as the case may 
be, shall generally e xercise such powers and perform such 
functions as may be delegated to them by the Head. 
 15.  Substitution of section 88, Act X of 2015. —In the said Act, for 
section 88, the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“88. Taxes to be levied. —(1) Subject to t his Act, a local 
government or in its absence an administrator, may, by 
notification, levy any tax, fee, rate, rent, toll, charge or surcharge 
specified in Fourth Schedule. 
(2)  Every tax proposal under sub -section (1) prior to its 
approval shall be vetted  by the Government in order to ensure that 
the proposal is reasonable and in accordance with law. 
(3)  The Government shall vet the tax proposal within thirty 
days from the date of receipt of the proposal failing which it shall 
be deemed to have been vetted by the Government. 
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(4)  Where a tax proposal is initiated by an Administrator, it 
shall, after being vetted by the Government, be laid before the 
National Assembly within fifteen days. The National Assembly 
may, within sixty days, disapprove the tax prop osal, and if the said 
proposal is not  disapproved within the aforesaid period of sixty 
days, it shall be deemed to have been approved. 
(5)  A local government or in its absence an administrator, 
shall not levy a tax without previous publication of the tax proposal 
and inviting and hearing public objections. 
(6)  A local government or in its absence an administrator, 
may, subject to provision of sub -section (1), increase, reduce, 
suspend, abolish or exempt any tax.”. 
 16.  Substitution of section 93, Act X o f 2015.—In the said Act, for 
section 93, for sub-section (1), the following shall be substituted, namely:- 
“(1) The Government may issue directions to the local 
government or to the administrator, as the case may be. The 
directions of the Government shall be binding on the local  
government and the administrator.”. 
 
 
 
ASIF ALI ZARDARI, 
President. 
 
———— 
 
 
RAJA NAEEM AKBAR, 
Secretary. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
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