ISLAMABAD: The scenario involving prolonged delay in the conduct of local government elections in the federal capital saw another twist on Friday, as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) suspended, for almost two weeks, its programme to hold the said polls on the coming 20 December, this time on the order of the superior judiciary.
In this connection, a notification issued by the poll body read that in compliance with the order passed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC)—the ECP suspends its election programme till next date of hearing (26 November).
A single-judge IHC bench comprising Justice Umair Majeed Malik stayed on Friday the scheduled LG polls in the federal capital on a writ petition filed by one Chaudhry Amjad Ali in which he argued against the conduct of LG elections till the determination of the constituencies delimitation status in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The bench’s written order said, “Points raised require consideration. Let notice be issued to the respondents with directions to file para-wise comments before the next date of hearing.”
It added, “In the meanwhile, operation of the impugned order dated 21.10.2026 and the impugned election schedule dated 21.10.2016, as revised by the Election Commission, shall remain suspended till the next date of hearing.”
In this matter, Chaudhry Amjad Ali filed a petition through his counsel, Barrister Adil Aziz Qazi, citing the ECP, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other relevant authorities as respondents.
On 21 July, this year, the ECP started the delimitation of constituencies in order to hold ICT LG elections in accordance with the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, promulgated by the federal government on 10 January, this year.
The delimitation drive was completed on 14 October.
The ordinance was extended for a period of 120 days with effect from 9 May, and finally expired on 6 September.
Thereafter, the government was required to have the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2026 passed by the two houses of Parliament, in order to give legal effect to the ordinance. Based on the ordinance, the bill was designed to introduce an LG system in Islamabad that would comprise three town corporations, each to be headed by a mayor and two deputy mayors.
In September, the National Assembly’s interior panel passed this bill, but it was not presented in the NA session that was prorogued last month.
Also, last month, the five-member full ECP bench issued an order citing relevant laws to direct the ECP Secretariat to immediately issue the LG elections programme for the ICT in accordance with Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015.
Previously, on 4 September 2024, the ECP notified to hold in abeyance the LG polls in Islamabad that were scheduled on 9 October 2024, following the passage of the new LG laws by Parliament then in the form of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Act 2024, dated 30 August 2024.
The ECP has repeatedly stated that it is ready to hold the LG polls but the governments concerned fail to amend the related LG laws whenever the LG polls are scheduled that causes delay in these elections.
The ICT LG term ended on 14 February 2021.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026