Overview
- A high-level federal committee led by Ahsan Iqbal presented a draft to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday that recommends a 27-member Islamabad Capital Territory assembly with provincial-style administrative and financial autonomy.
- Major parties including PTI, PPP and regional leaders have demanded broad consensus and warned that creating new provinces or units without wide agreement could weaken the federation and invite legal fights.
- Jamaat‑e‑Islami’s ongoing street protests over the petrol levy remain active and the party has threatened strikes, long marches and other escalations if its demands are not met.
- Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered intensified anti‑corruption 'trap' operations that produced multiple arrests, while Lahore police say they have detained PTI leader Hammad Azhar in a move his family is contesting in court.
- Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has held phone talks with counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Norway to prevent regional escalation and to push for implementation of prior memoranda, even as observers warn the Islamabad plan could spark political instability that affects everyday services and investor confidence.