The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior has approved amendments to the law governing local governments in Islamabad, despite opposition from two Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) members.

PPP lawmakers Agha Rafiullah and Abdul Qadir Patel opposed the bill during the committee meeting. The committee chairman said their dissenting note would be included in the official record.

The committee also took up a dispute over land records involving Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon told the committee that land records for 28 mouzas belonging to Islamabad were still held by the Rawalpindi administration.

He said Islamabad had requested the records, but Rawalpindi officials cited pending settlement-related matters. Islamabad has proposed that the disputed mouzas be blocked until the issue is resolved.

The Rawalpindi administration, meanwhile, said the documents previously provided were only copies and could not be legally used. It asked Islamabad to provide proper documentation.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry questioned why transferring the records had become such a difficult process, saying Islamabad residents were suffering because of the dispute.

The committee chairman noted that Islamabad was previously part of Rawalpindi and Punjab before becoming the federal capital in 1960, after which administrative boundaries were established.

Patel also raised concerns about illegal housing societies, encroachments and governance problems in Islamabad. He said the committee had sought land records following complaints about illegal housing schemes and land grabbing.

Discussing recent rains, Patel said parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi had experienced urban flooding and questioned why authorities had failed to take action against encroachments.

The committee chairman asked members to avoid political arguments and keep the discussion focused on the legislation and issues formally before the committee.

Patel also rejected any proposal to give Islamabad the status of a separate province, saying the PPP would not support such a move and questioning what additional powers such a province would have.

The chairman clarified that the suggestion reflected his personal view and that members were free to disagree. He again asked Patel to focus on the bill under discussion and indicated that a separate vote could be held on the provincial-status proposal.