The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered its office to issue a fresh schedule for Islamabad local government elections, ruling that the polls will be held under the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015.
A five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja gave the order on Wednesday while hearing a case on the long delay in holding the polls.
Why Islamabad Local Government Elections Were Delayed
Islamabad has had no elected local government since February 2021, when the term of the body elected in 2015 ended. The law requires fresh elections within 120 days, but repeated changes to the legal framework stalled the process.
The number of union councils was raised from 50 to 101 and then to 125. Polls set for December 31, 2022 were postponed after a last-minute change in the law, and a February 15, 2026 schedule was withdrawn after an ordinance created three town corporations. That ordinance lapsed on September 6 before replacement legislation was passed.
ECP Says Government Does Not Want Polls
ECP officials told the hearing that delimitation had been carried out six times and election schedules issued four times. The CEC remarked that it appeared the government did not wish to hold local government elections in Islamabad, and said the commission was compelled to issue the order. The interior secretary argued that returning to the 2015 law would undo earlier work, but the CEC said the latest delimitations, published on October 14, would not be affected.
What Happens Next
The ECP has directed its office to take all steps quickly to complete the electoral process. Meanwhile, a federal committee led by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has recommended a provincial-style set-up for the capital, with a 27-member Islamabad Assembly.
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