Islamabad - the beautiful
The author argues against granting Islamabad provincial status, suggesting instead that it should become an autonomous metropolitan government. The piece highlights the city's current governance fragmentation and calls for a unified, accountable municipal structure.
Why it matters
Effective governance of capital cities is a recurring challenge in urban planning and national administration, impacting service delivery for millions.
Bad idea: making Islamabad a full province. Good idea: giving Islamabad province-like autonomy. Islamabad does not need provincial status. It needs provincial powers with municipal accountability.
Please do not make Islamabad another province. Make Islamabad Pakistan’s rst genuinely autonomous metropolitan government. There are proven models to follow. Brasília has its federal district. Buenos Aires is an autonomous city. Berlin is a city-state. Washington has the district of Columbia. Canberra has the Australian Capital Territory. One common principle: a national capital does not have to become an ordinary province in order to govern itself.
Islamabad does not need another assembly. Not another chief minister. Another secretariat. Another layer between the taxpayer and the service provider. Look closer: Islamabad does not need more government. It needs a better government.
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