Constituencies in Islamabad: Deadline to file objections to the delimitation expires today
ISLAMABAD: The deadline to file objections to the delimitation of constituencies in Islamabad expires today (Thursday), as the electoral body’s delimitation exercise for the conduct of local government elections continues in the federal capital, scheduled to complete next month.
The filing of objections by the voters before delimitation authorities began on the last month’s 28th, to end on 17 September (today), in accordance with the schedule stipulated by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The final list of the delimited constituencies/union councils in the ICT is scheduled to be issued by the ECP on October 14.
On January 16 this year, the ECP notified the postponement of LG polls in the ICT, that were scheduled on February 15, citing the promulgation of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 by the government on January 10.
The said ordinance provided for introducing an LG system in Islamabad that is to comprise three town corporations, each to be headed by a mayor and two deputy mayors.
The ordinance was subsequently extended for a period of 120 days with effect from May 9, and eventually expired on September 5.
Based on this ordinance, the government has planned to move the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Parliament for legislation.
Previously, on September 4, 2024, the ECP notified to “hold in abeyance” the LG polls in Islamabad that were scheduled on October 9, 2024, following the passage of the new LG laws by the Parliament then, in the form of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Act 2024, dated August 30, 2024.
This law increased the number of union councils in the ICT from 101 to 125.
The ECP has repeatedly stated in the press releases that it is ready to hold the LG polls but the governments concerned amend the related LG laws whenever the LG polls are announced that causes delay in these elections.
In a press release issued on July 31 this year, the ECP revealed that the federal government had refused to entertain an electoral body’s proposal to carry out parliamentary legislation in order to restrict the federal and provincial governments from amending the LG laws after the expiry of the respective local bodies’ terms in order to avoid delay in the LG polls.
The Section 219(1) of the Elections Act, 2017 provides that the ECP shall conduct LG elections in a province, cantonment or the ICT under the applicable LG law and rules.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026