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;”; PART I] THE GAZETTE OF PAKISTAN, EXTRA., JAN. 12, 2026 159 (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— PART I] THE GAZETTE OF PAKISTAN, EXTRA., JAN. 12, 2026 161 (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. 162 THE GAZETTE OF PAKISTAN, EXTRA., JAN. 12, 2026 [PART I (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. 164 THE GAZETTE OF PAKISTAN, EXTRA., JAN. 12, 2026 [PART I (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. PRINTED BY THE MANAGER, PRINTING CORPORATION OF PAKISTAN PRESS, ISLAMABAD . PUBLISHED BY THE DEPUTY CONTROLLER, STATIONERY AND FORMS, UNIVERSITY ROAD, KARACHI.