ECP suspends Islamabad local government elections schedule

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially issued a notification to suspend the schedule for the upcoming local government (LG) elections in Islamabad.

The elections, which were initially scheduled to be held in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) on October 9, have now been postponed. According to the ECP, the decision to delay the elections is directly linked to recent legislative developments in the Parliament.

The notification indicates that the local government elections have been postponed due to amendments made to the Islamabad Local Government Act. The changes in the law prompted the ECP to halt the electoral process until the implications of the new legislation were fully understood and integrated into the election procedures.

The National Assembly passed the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2024, which introduced significant changes to the ICT Local Government Act 2015. The amendments include increasing the number of wards in each union council from six to nine and allowing direct election of all nine general members of each union council by voters in that council.

The amendments also redefine the structure of union councils, specifying a chairman and vice chairman as joint candidates, and including representatives for women, youth, non-Muslims, and various occupational groups.

Despite the government’s claim that these amendments are intended to empower local governments and enhance grassroots governance, opposition members like Barrister Gohar Ali Khan criticised the legislation, arguing that it would cause further delays in holding local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The government, however, downplayed the concerns about delays, emphasising the importance of empowering councillors and ensuring a more representative local government structure.

The suspension is a significant move, as it puts on hold the democratic process of electing local representatives in the federal capital. The ECP’s notification has emphasised that the elections will remain postponed until further notice, and a new schedule will be announced once the necessary legal clarifications are made.