Senate, National Assembly to debate new provinces in October

The PML-N government has announced that the issue of creating new provinces will be taken up for discussion in the National Assembly and Senate in October.

Speaking to the media, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that both houses of Parliament would not meet in September, while sessions are scheduled for October.

“The issue of creating new provinces will be discussed during those sessions,” he said, adding that Parliament House is the appropriate forum for debate on the creation of new provinces.

Regarding the federal capital, the minister clarified that Islamabad is not being turned into a province. Instead, he added, the government is considering a new governance model for the capital.

“There has been no discussion about making Islamabad a separate province,” he said.

Last week, reports claimed that a new governance system is being considered for Islamabad in place of the existing local government setup. Under the proposed model, the capital could have a 27-member assembly, while the post of chief executive could be created with the title of chief minister or mayor.

The development comes as the Islamabad local government ordinance has expired. The Islamabad Local Government Ordinance, issued on January 9, 2026, completed 240 days in force before its expiry.