Islamabad LG Polls on Dec 20: ECP Issues Full Election Schedule
ISLAMABAD: Local government elections in the federal capital will be held on December 20, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced, issuing a detailed election schedule with strict instructions to keep the process transparent and impartial.
According to the schedule, nomination papers will be available from October 30 and may be filed from November 2 to 6. The list of candidates will be published on November 7, while scrutiny of nomination papers will take place from November 9 to 13.
Appeals against decisions on nomination papers may be filed from November 14 to 18, with decisions to be announced from November 19 to 23. The final list of candidates will be displayed on November 25, followed by the allotment of election symbols on November 26.
Polling will take place from 8am to 4pm on December 20. The ECP said it will announce the election results between December 21 and 24.
Strict code of conduct for Islamabad LG polls
The commission has barred the use of government resources for election campaigning. It will also freeze transfers and postings of government officers once the schedule is announced, and public servants will not be allowed to take leave without the ECP’s approval.
The President, the Prime Minister, federal ministers and governors will not be allowed to campaign in the local government elections. Members of Parliament, senators and local government representatives, however, may take part in campaigning.
The ECP warned that legal action would be taken against government officers found influencing election results and against public office-holders who violate electoral laws. It also directed that election offices remain open during public holidays and that election-related work be carried out during official working hours, in strict compliance with the code of conduct.
All institutions and officials concerned must follow the commission’s instructions so the electoral process is completed transparently and fairly, the ECP said.
Elections under the 2015 law
The announcement follows the commission’s decision a day earlier to hold the capital’s local government elections under the 2015 local government law and to issue the schedule without further delay, as reported earlier.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja observed that holding local government elections was a constitutional obligation, but the federal government had failed to provide a new local government law and the relevant rules. The 2015 law remains in force after a 2026 amendment ordinance lapsed on September 6.
The ECP noted that delimitation in Islamabad had been carried out six times and election schedules issued four times, yet polling never took place. It maintained that holding the elections under the 2015 law would not affect the existing delimitation. The capital’s 130 union councils were finalised after an appellate authority dismissed all objections, as covered here.
The capital’s polls have been stalled for more than five years. Their revival comes as local government elections are back on the agenda elsewhere too: a task force has sought guaranteed funding and direct polls for local governments, while the ECP rejected Punjab’s proposed April 2027 schedule and asked for an officers’ list within a week. For Islamabad’s voters, the December 20 date is the first firm polling day in years, and the task force’s push for empowered local governments suggests the elected councils may finally get real work to do.
Frequently asked questions
When are the Islamabad local government elections?
Polling will be held on December 20, from 8am to 4pm. The ECP will announce results between December 21 and 24.
When can candidates file nomination papers for the Islamabad LG polls?
Nomination papers will be available from October 30 and can be filed from November 2 to 6. Scrutiny runs from November 9 to 13, and the final candidate list will be displayed on November 25.
Who is barred from campaigning in the Islamabad LG elections?
The President, Prime Minister, federal ministers and governors may not campaign. MPs, senators and local government representatives are allowed to campaign.
Under which law are the Islamabad LG polls being held?
The elections will be held under the 2015 local government law, which remains in force after the 2026 amendment ordinance lapsed on September 6.
