ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has proposed amendments to the electoral laws to hold new local government elections under the LG laws applicable at the time of the expiry of the term or dissolution of a local government.
In a letter on Monday, addressed to the secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Additional Director General, Local Government Elections (LGE), Nadeem Qasim, conveyed to the former ECP’s proposal to amend Section 219(1) of the Elections Act, 2017.
The aforementioned Section of the said law reads that the ECP shall conduct elections to the local governments under the applicable local government law, and the rules framed thereunder, as may be applicable to a province, cantonments or Islamabad Capital Territory.
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The amendment proposed by the ECP reads that the ECP shall conduct elections to the local governments under the applicable local government law at the time of the expiry of term or dissolution of the local governments, and the rules framed thereunder, as may be applicable to a province, cantonments or ICT.
“The timely conduct of the local governments has become a challenge for the Commission as the federal and respective provincial governments usually make amendments in the local government laws after or close to the expiry of term of local governments and even sometimes after the schedule has been announced, which hampers the conduct of local governments elections and directly erodes the public trust in electoral processes,” reads the ADG ECP’s letter.
The ECP’s recommendations have been put forth due to the reason that “no government wants to hold the local government elections,” the electoral body said in an official statement on Monday.
The long-delayed LG elections in the federal capital finally stood cancelled yet again, after the ECP, last Friday, withdrew the polls’ schedule following the promulgation of a presidential ordinance by the federal government, a few days back.
The LG elections in Islamabad were scheduled on 15th February 2026.
The ICT LG term expired on 14th February 2021, but the ECP failed to hold the LG elections in the ICT within the 120-day stipulated period under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017.
This law provides that the ECP shall hold LG elections within 120 days of the expiry of the LG term in a province, cantonment, or ICT.
Keeping this in view, the ECP was required to hold the LG elections in the ICT by June 2021. On 18th November last year, the ECP announced to hold LG elections in the federal capital “immediately,” and directed its secretariat to issue the LG polls’ schedule forthwith.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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