The long-awaited local government elections in Islamabad faced another delay as the polling date was postponed from September 29 to October 9.
The PTI’s local chapter expressed suspicions that the government might be planning to pass a bill in Parliament to amend the Local Government Act 2015, which could necessitate new delimitations and further delay the elections.
In response, the PML-N attributed the extension to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision, made at the request of local politicians who were unable to submit their nomination papers on time.
According to an ECP notification, the deadline for submitting nomination papers has been extended from August 16 to August 28. After this, the necessary steps, including scrutiny and appeals, will be completed before the new polling date of October 9.
The ECP stated that the extension was granted to maximize candidate participation and accommodate their needs. PTI leader Sheraz Kiani voiced concerns that the government might use this time to alter election laws, which could lead to the cancellation of the current election schedule and potentially benefit the ruling party.
In contrast, PML-N General Secretary Sardar Mahtab argued that the extension was a reasonable response to requests from local politicians and insisted that the PTI’s allegations were unfounded. He emphasized that the PML-N is committed to conducting the elections, in contrast to the PTI’s previous failure to hold local elections during their tenure.
Officials noted that approximately one million voters will participate in the election to choose representatives for 125 union councils in Islamabad. The ECP has prohibited executive authorities from announcing new development projects or using state resources to influence the elections and has restricted the transfer or posting of government officers without prior approval.
Despite scheduling the elections twice in recent years, the ECP has been unable to conduct them, as the local government’s term ended in February 2021. The elections will proceed under the Local Government Act 2015, which was also used for the previous elections. The prior Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) faced criticism for its performance and financial issues, and neither the PTI nor the PML-N governments addressed the Act’s shortcomings during their terms.
