ECP postpones local govt polls in Islamabad

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday suspended 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.

The decision to postpone elections is directly linked to recent legislative developments in the Parliament.

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).