ECP give warning notice to government over Islamabad LG election delay

ISLAMABAD: The government faced a stern warning from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over its persistent delays in conducting local government (LG) elections in Islamabad.

Secretary of the Election Commission chaired a high-level meeting on Islamabad’s LG elections and hinted at issuing binding directives if the government fails to act promptly.

The ECP decided in the meeting to hold regular hearings and, if necessary, issue binding directives to ensure the timely conduct of the long-overdue elections in Islamabad.

The Secretary of the ECP stated that Islamabad’s Local Government term ended on February 14, 2021, and despite repeated delays, the ECP has actively continued preparations for fresh elections. He affirmed the Commission’s commitment to fulfilling its constitutional responsibility.

During the meeting, the Interior Ministry officials confirmed that they formally submitted the proposed amendments to the Islamabad Local Government Act 2025 to the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) on April 30, 2025. The meeting was attended by the Special Secretary, Additional Secretary Interior, Chief Commissioner Islamabad, and Joint Secretary Interior.

Once the CCLC clears the legislation, it will move to the Federal Cabinet for final approval.

The secretary directed the Ministry of Interior to finalize the legislation immediately, allowing the ECP to proceed with election arrangements without further delay. He added that although the ECP had reviewed and endorsed the draft law, the enactment process remains incomplete.

A press statement issued after the meeting stated that the ECP reviewed the amendments passed in August 2024 and identified several inconsistencies. Authorities instructed the development of compliant rules and forms in line with the amended Act to facilitate a lawful election process. However, the legislation has yet to be enacted.

The ECP has completed the delimitation process, and the Interior Ministry now holds the responsibility of finalizing the legislation to enable the holding of local government elections in the federal capital.

An ECP spokesperson later confirmed that the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad assured full cooperation with the Commission for the elections, provided the revised legal framework receives timely parliamentary approval.

The Secretary stated that local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan were successfully conducted by the Election Commission, which also completed the delimitation process.