ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on the coming Tuesday, and decided to issue contempt notice to Secretary Interior Khurram Agha, over non-cooperation with the electoral body on holding local government elections in the federal capital.
In addition, the ECP has decided to summon the deputy commissioners appointed in each district of Punjab in case the Commission’s related directions regarding LG elections in the province are not met.
The decisions were taken on Thursday during the hearing of the cases regarding prolonged delay in the conduct of LG elections in Islamabad and Punjab.
The ECP’s five-member full bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard both the cases.
In the Islamabad LG elections delay case, Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa appeared before the bench. Agha, the Secretary Interior, did not show up at the hearing despite having been summoned by the bench. Instead, an additional secretary from the Interior Ministry attended the meeting.
The ECP officials concerned briefed the bench that three letters were sent to the secretary interior by the electoral body seeking relevant details concerning the LG system in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
However, the secretary Interior did not respond to any of the three letters, the bench was informed. The bench inquired about the absence of the interior secretary from the hearing. The additional secretary replied that the secretary could not appear before the bench due to his meeting with the prime minister.
The bench took strong exception to the secretary’s conduct, directing the ECP Secretariat to issue a contempt notice to Agha. The bench also summoned Naqvi, the Interior Minister, in his personal capacity, for the next hearing of this case scheduled on the coming Tuesday (10th March).
Randhawa, the Chief Commissioner Islamabad, assured the ECP bench to hand over the required data regarding ICT LG system in a week. The ECP directed him to provide the said data latest by the coming Thursday (12th March).
In the Punjab LG polls delay case, Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and Secretary LG Punjab Shakeel Ahmad Mian appeared before the bench. Zaman assured the ECP bench to provide the required data regarding Punjab LG system by the coming Thursday (12th March).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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