Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Sunday the government was considering a new governance model for the federal capital under which a legislative assembly could be established, with powers similar to those exercised by provincial assemblies.

Speaking on a private news channel programme, Chaudhry said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a committee to examine a better governance model for Islamabad. "The committee, headed by Ahsan Iqbal, includes me, Rana Sanaullah, Dr. Musadik Malik, both members of the National Assembly from Islamabad and the secretary interior," he added. He said the committee had held several meetings and examined different governance models, including those of major world capitals such as London, Washington and New Delhi.

According to the minister, most countries have specific governance structures and legislative institutions for their capitals. He said work on Islamabad's governance model had begun before the current debate over new provinces and administrative units, and recommendations on the proposed structure had now reached an advanced stage. Under the proposed model, the minister for parliamentary affairs said the powers of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and various functions of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) would be brought together.

He said a legislative assembly for Islamabad would be established, replacing the existing arrangement under which legislation concerning the capital is enacted by parliament. "All major legislation relating to Islamabad would be made through this assembly," he said, adding that the proposed body would have powers similar to those of provincial assemblies. Chaudhry said billions of rupees were collected in taxes from Islamabad but transferred to the federal government, and the new model aims to address this imbalance.