Report: Hurish Shah FT:
ISLAMABAD — Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has called for a stronger, representative and financially viable governance model for Islamabad, saying the capital needs greater public representation and institutional accountability.
Addressing the Islamabad Governance and Provincial Status Convention organized by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), he said any new governance structure should be established through constitutional means and meaningful public consultation.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said Islamabad’s residents should have a meaningful role in determining the capital’s governance system, while national security and law and order should remain the federal government’s responsibility.
ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood called for financial autonomy, timely elections, protection of citizens’ and investors’ rights, and greater representation for rural Islamabad.
Other speakers, including Sardar Yasir Ilyas, Senator Talha Mahmood, MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan and Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, also called for broader consultation and institutional reforms.
The Overseas Facilitation Centre at ICCI and a Passport Counter at the NADRA office in the Chamber’s premises were also inaugurated.
