ISLAMABAD: Uncert ainty continues shrouding the fate of local government elections in the federal capital, as another meeting between the poll body and federal government officials on holding the much-delayed polls remained inconclusive on Friday.
In this context, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) again passed the buck on the federal government for lingering delay in the LG polls.
Not attended by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, the meeting was attended by other senior officials of ECP, and those of Interior Ministry and Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA).
“Whenever the ECP finalises the polls preparations, local government laws are amended,” said an ECP statement issued after the meeting.
The ECP issued a similar statement this February after the hearing of a case related to persistent delay in LG elections in Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province.
In Friday’s meeting, the ECP officials asked the Interior Ministry representatives to ensure the conduct of LG elections in Islamabad.
The ministry officials informed the meeting that the amended draft of Islamabad Local Government Act 2025 was presented in the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) meeting on 30th April. Following CCLC’s approval, the draft would be sent to the federal cabinet for its nod, after which, it would be sent to the Parliament for legislation, the officials said.
“If the government does not show seriousness in holding the LG elections in Islamabad, then ECP would fix the matter for regular hearing, and issue orders accordingly, the implementation of which would be mandatory,” said the ECP statement issued after Friday’s meeting.
Presently, the local bodies are in place in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan but LG elections in Punjab and federal capital have been facing an inordinate delay since 2021.
The local bodies’ term in ICT expired on 14th February 2021, and in Punjab on 31st December 2021.
The ECP is bound to hold LG elections within 120 days of the expiry of local bodies’ term, under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act 2017.
This law provides that the ECP shall hold elections to the local governments within 120 days of the expiry of the term of local governments of a province, cantonment or ICT.
Article 218(3) of the Constitution provides that it shall be the ECP’s duty to organise and conduct the elections, and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that an election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with law, and that corrupt practices are guarded against.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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