Govt warned over delays in LG polls

ECP threatens to issue binding directives if fails to act promptly

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued a stern warning to the government over persistent delays in holding local government (LG) elections in Islamabad, threatening to issue binding directives if it fails to act promptly.

Chairing a high-level meeting on Islamabad's LG elections, the Secretary Election Commission stressed that the commission would now hold regular hearings and, if necessary, issue binding directives to ensure the timely conduct of the long-overdue elections in the federal capital. The secretary highlighted that the term of Islamabad's Local Governments expired on February 14, 2021, and despite repeated delays, the ECP has remained actively engaged in preparations for fresh elections.

"The commission remains committed to fulfilling its constitutional responsibility," he affirmed. He further explained that continuous amendments to the Islamabad Local Government Act have hampered the commission's ability to conduct elections. Despite these legal hindrances, the ECP has completed five delimitation exercises and issued election schedules on three separate occasions, each time disrupted by further amendments to the law.

The secretary noted that this recurring legislative cycle has caused significant hurdles, prolonging the electoral process unnecessarily. "Every time the commission completes preparations, new amendments are introduced, further derailing the timeline," he said.

During the meeting, which was attended by the Special Secretary, Additional Secretary Interior, Chief Commissioner Islamabad, and Joint Secretary Interior, the Interior Ministry officials confirmed that the proposed amendments to the Islamabad Local Government Act 2025 were formally submitted to the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) on April 30, 2025. The legislation will move to the federal cabinet for final approval once cleared by the CCLC.

The secretary directed the Ministry of Interior to ensure the immediate finalisation of the legislation, enabling the ECP to proceed with election arrangements without further delay. He added that although the draft law had been reviewed and endorsed by the ECP, the enactment process remains incomplete. The ECP had also reviewed the amendments passed in August 2024, and identified several inconsistencies.

Authorities were instructed to develop compliant rules and forms in line with the amended Act to facilitate a lawful election process. However, the legislation is yet to be enacted. The ECP has completed the delimitation process, and it is now the responsibility of the Interior Ministry to finalise the legislation so that local government elections can be held in the federal capital.

An ECP spokesperson later confirmed that the Islamabad chief commissioner has assured full cooperation with the commission for the elections, contingent upon timely parliamentary approval of the revised legal framework. The secretary said that the Election Commission has successfully conducted local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan and has completed the delimitation process.