Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It has a peaceful environment, well-planned infrastructure and a plethora of lush green spaces. Above all, you will find almost all of the most important government buildings in Islamabad. That’s also one of the major reasons why real estate here is slightly more expensive compared to other metropolises like Karachi and Lahore.
So, let’s dig deeper and take a closer look at these state-owned institutions in the capital city.
10 Key Government Offices in Islamabad
From courts to secretariats, Islamabad is home to a number of high-ranking government buildings, especially in the Diplomatic Enclave, some of which have been discussed below in detail:
- Supreme Court of Pakistan
- Election Commission of Pakistan
- President House
- Parliament House
- Prime Minister Secretariat
- Pakistan Stock Exchange
- State Bank of Pakistan
- NAB Headquarters
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- FBR House
Supreme Court
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In the light of the constitution of Pakistan, the Supreme Court is the official body that has the highest authority over all the other such institutions such as high courts, Shariat, district and special courts.
Being the highest court of appeal in the court system of Pakistan, the Supreme Court is recognized as the final arbiter of all legal and constitutional disputes. According to “the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1997,” the number of the Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, other than the Chief Justice, has to be sixteen.
Current Chief Justice of Pakistan: Asif Latif Khosa
Address: Constitution Ave, G-5/2 Red Zone, Islamabad Capital Territory
Contact: (051) 9220581
Election Commission of Pakistan
Recognized as one of the most important government buildings in Islamabad, the Election Commission of Pakistan is an independent and autonomous body. It is responsible for arranging and conducting elections for state parliament, provincial and local governments. It also organizes the elections for the offices of President of Pakistan. The Election Commission of Pakistan has a 5-member panel including 4 representatives from each of the four provinces lead by a Chief Election Commissioner.
Current Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan: Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan
Address: Election House, Constitution Ave, G-5/2 G-5, Islamabad Capital Territory
Contact: (051) 9201975
President House (Aiwan-i-Saddar)
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Presidents House, which is also known as The President Palace (Aiwan-i-Saddar), is one of the key government offices in Islamabad. It took almost 20 years for this great building to get completed from 1970s to 1990s. In 1988, President Ghulam Ishaq first occupied this gigantic official residence and workplace designated for the President of Pakistan.
Current President of Pakistan: Arif Alvi
Address: Presidency Road, Red Zone, Islamabad Capital Territory
Contact: (051) 9204530
Parliament House
The construction of Parliament House Islamabad was completed in exactly 11 years. This magnificent five-storey building was inaugurated in 1986. The main chamber of the building has been converted into the National Assembly Hall having the capacity of 448 parliamentarians. There is another smaller chamber on the same floor used as the Senate Hall. The section has a seating capacity of 174 senate members. Parliament House Islamabad has a vast lawn in front having a sizeable collection of trees.
Current Speaker of the National Assembly: Mr. Murtaza Javed Abbasi
Address: Parliament House, Constitution Avenue، D-Chowk, Red Zone, Islamabad
Contact: (051) 9022022
Prime Minister Office
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The Prime Minister Office, which was previously known as the Prime Minister Secretariat, was renamed by the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Based on neoclassical architecture by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) , this gigantic place is one of the most important government offices in Islamabad. It is the workplace and official home of Prime Minister of Pakistan since 1973. The Prime Minister Office is where many important, high-level government meetings take place.
Current Prime Minister of Pakistan: Imran Khan
Address: Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Red Zone, Islamabad Capital Territory
Contact: info@pmo.gov.pk
Pakistan Stock Exchange
There once existed a separate entity known as Islamabad Stock Exchange, which was later merged into Pakistan Stock Exchange. Pakistan Stock Exchange operates in a multiple story building where a lot happens every minute. Pakistan Stock Exchange, shortened as PSX, is one of the most popular government offices in Islamabad. This state institution provides reliable and minute-to-minute information of the changing condition of the country’s stock market. PSX is a digitized market place that is an effective source of orderly and well-maintained data for investors across the country.
Current Chairman of PSX: Sulaiman S. Mehdi
Address: Islamabad Stock Exchange Towers, 55-B, Jinnah Avenue, Blue Area, Islamabad
Contact: (051) 2806281
State Bank of Pakistan
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The list of government buildings in Islamabad is incomplete without the mention of State Bank of Pakistan. According to the 1956 State Bank of Pakistan Act, it plays the role of the central bank of the country, regulating the monetary system followed in other private and public banks across Pakistan. The bank is also responsible to monitor and regulate the issuance and flow of the national currency in the local market.
Current Governor of State Bank of Pakistan: Tariq Bajwa
Address: Ataturk Ave, G-5/2 G-5, Islamabad Capital Territory
Contact: (051) 9201715
National Accountability Bureau (NAB)
Formed in 1997, the National Accountability Bureau is a constitutionally established institution, allowed to undertake actions independently against corruption and financial crimes. It is one of those government offices in Islamabad that hold great significance. The bureau features two important designations: one is the Chairman and the other is the Prosecutor General of Pakistan. However, the Chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) heads all the investigations during his four-year tenure.
Current Chairman of NAB: Justice (R) Javed Iqbal
Address: National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Shahrah-e-Jamhuriat, G-5/1, Islamabad
Contact: (051) 111-622-622
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wazarat-e-Kharja)
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is also called Wazarat-e-Kharja in Urdu, has the responsibility of initiating and managing diplomatic relations of Pakistan with other countries. Many high level meetings with international delegations take place in the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. It is also recognized among important government offices in Islamabad. Government of Pakistan offices established abroad also work under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Current Minister of Foreign Affairs: Shah Mehmood Qureshi
Address: Constitution Ave, G-5/1 G-5, Islamabad Capital Territory
Contact: 051-9210335
Federal Board of Revenue
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is one of the top government buildings in Islamabad that investigates financial crimes related to money-laundering and taxation. Being one of the state-owned institutions, FBR has the responsibility to impose fiscal laws and collect revenues for the government of Pakistan. Regional Tax Offices that are found in different parts of the country serve as the main collection arm of the FBR Pakistan.
Current Department Executive of FBR: Syed Shabbar Zaidi
Address: Constitution Ave, G-5/2 G-5, Islamabad Capital Territory
Contact: (051) 111 772 772
Properties in Blue Area Islamabad
Being the capital city, Islamabad has a long list of government buildings that are surrounded by areas with a properly maintained infrastructure. So, if you are interested in living near all these important government offices in Islamabad, then you can search through dozens of properties available for sale in Blue Area. It is one of the closest localities to the Red Zone and Diplomatic Enclave.
Moreover, if you are also willing to know about the state-owned institutions in the city of lights, then here is the list of important government buildings in Karachi. To read more of our informative pieces, keep following Zameen Blog, Pakistan’s best lifestyle blog.
