ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday directed its office to prepare and issue a fresh election programme for local government polls in the Islamabad Capital Territory, reviving a process that has stalled for more than five years. The Islamabad local government elections order was issued under Articles 140A, 218(3), 219 and 220 of the Constitution, read with the Elections Act, 2017 and the ICT Local Government Act, 2015.
A five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja directed that the programme be issued the same day, under the 2015 law, which remains in force after a 2026 amendment ordinance lapsed on September 6.
“It appears that the government does not wish to hold local government elections in Islamabad,” the chief election commissioner remarked during the hearing.
Islamabad local government elections: why the polls stalled
Islamabad’s only local government elections were held in 2015 for 50 union councils. The PML-N won the polls and Sheikh Anser Aziz became the capital’s first mayor. The body’s term expired in February 2021, and the law requires fresh elections within 120 days, a deadline that has now been missed by more than five years.
Since then, the ECP has carried out delimitation six times and announced election schedules four times. In December 2022, polls were fixed for December 31 on the basis of 101 union councils, but the government amended the law days before polling to raise the number to 125, forcing a postponement despite an Islamabad High Court order to proceed.
The latest schedule, announced for October 9, 2026 with polling planned for February, was withdrawn after President Asif Ali Zardari promulgated the ICT Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 in January. The ordinance replaced the Metropolitan Corporation with three town corporations and made fresh delimitation necessary. A replacement bill cleared a parliamentary committee in September but was never enacted before the ordinance lapsed on September 6.
At Wednesday’s hearing, ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal Malik told the bench that final delimitations had been published on October 14 and that two reminders had been sent to the interior ministry, which had not provided the rules. The interior secretary confirmed the facts but argued that reverting to the 2015 law would force all the work to be scrapped. The chief election commissioner replied that the delimitations would not be affected.
What happens next
The ECP has directed its office to move swiftly under the 2015 Act and the Elections Act, 2017. The contrast with Punjab is notable: the commission has proposed holding Punjab’s local government polls on December 14, showing that the election machinery can move when the legal framework is settled.
For Islamabad’s residents, the order raises the prospect of an elected local government for the first time in more than five years, though the history of cancelled schedules means the timetable will be watched closely. The commission’s own record in election disputes, including its recent notices on electoral matters upheld in court, suggests it intends to see this process through.
Frequently Asked Questions
When were Islamabad’s last local government elections held?
In 2015, for 50 union councils. The elected body’s term ended in February 2021.
Why have the polls been delayed?
Repeated legal changes: the union council count rose from 50 to 101 to 125, a January 2026 ordinance replaced the Metropolitan Corporation structure, and the replacement law was never enacted before the ordinance lapsed on September 6.
What law will the new polls follow?
The ICT Local Government Act, 2015, which remains in force, along with the Elections Act, 2017.
