ISLAMABAD: Declaring a key provision of an act of Parliament as inconsistent with the Constitution and the law, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finally announced to hold the local government elections in the federal capital immediately.
In this context, the ECP said it has directed its Secretariat to ensure the issuance of the election programme for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) forthwith.
The Section 15(2) of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is not in accordance with the Constitution and the law, the electoral body said in a statement on Tuesday.
This Section provides that in the first meeting of a union council, to be convened and presided over by the secretary of the UC, and to the exclusion of any other business, the general members of the UC shall elect through secret ballot one women, one peasant or worker or businessman or technocrat, one youth member and one non-Muslim member. But, in an order issued earlier on Monday, regarding the delay in the conduct of LG polls in the ICT, the ECP said the Section 15 (2) is not in consonance with the provisions of the Constitution, the Elections Act, 2017 and the Section 20 of the ICT Local Government Act, 2015.
The Commission is empowered under Sections 50, 219 and 224 of the Elections Act, 2017, read with Section 20 of the ICT Local Government Act 2015, to appoint DROs (district returning officers), ROs (returning officers), and AROs (assistant returning officers) from among its own officers, or those of the government or judiciary, read the ECP’s order.
The order further read that the secretary UC is not covered by the term “officer,” as mentioned in Section 50 of Elections Act, 2017, and cannot be endorsed by the Commission to fulfil the responsibilities to conduct LG elections.
On 8 August last year, the poll body formally announced to hold the LG polls in the ICT on 29 September last year, and issued the related schedule. On 20 August, the ECP revised ICT LG polls date to 9 October 2024, saying the decision was taken on the request of different political parties and candidates.
However, following the passage of the ICT Local Government (Amendment) Act 2024 by the Parliament in August last year, the ECP on 4 September 2024, decided to hold in abeyance the ICT LG elections’ schedule “till further orders.”
The ICT LG term expired on 14 February 2021, but the electoral body 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 LGs’ term of a province, cantonment or the ICT.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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