- ECP hears case over delays in Islamabad local government elections.
- Islamabad’s last elected local govt term expired in February 2021.
- Elections Act requires fresh polls within 120 days of term expiry.
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday ordered that local government elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) be held in accordance with the ICT LG Act, 2015 and directed its officials to issue the LG polls schedule today.
A five-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, issued the order while hearing a case concerning delays in holding local government elections in the federal capital.
The bench directed the commission’s officials to prepare and issue the fresh election schedule on Wednesday (today), in line with the 2015 law.
The proceedings followed a notice issued by the Commission to the secretary of the Ministry of Interior and the chief commissioner of the Islamabad Capital Territory.
The Election Commission had submitted its feedback regarding the Islamabad Local Government Rules to the Ministry of Interior on July 20, 2026, to ensure that legislation and rules were formulated and published in line with the commission’s recommendations.
The term of the last elected local government system in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) had expired in February 2021, but owing to diverse legal and administrative reasons, fresh elections could not be held hitherto.
The statutory requirement under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, is that the Election Commission is required to hold new local government elections within 120 days of the term’s expiration.
