ECP Orders Islamabad Local Government Elections Under 2015 Law
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK, October 21, 2026: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered local government elections in Islamabad to be held under the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015, directing the relevant authorities to issue the election schedule on Wednesday.
The decision was announced during a hearing chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja. Officials from the Election Commission and the Ministry of Interior attended the proceedings.
According to media reports, the commission ordered the election schedule to be issued on October 21, marking a significant development in the long-delayed local government polls in the federal capital.
ECP Cites Delays in Legislation
During the hearing, ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal Malik briefed the commission on the progress of preparations for the elections.
He told the commission that constituency delimitation in Islamabad had been carried out six times and election schedules had been announced four times in previous attempts. The final delimitation lists were published on October 14, 2026.
The latest dispute arose after the Islamabad Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, expired on September 6 before the necessary legislation could be enacted.
Officials also informed the commission that the required local government rules had not been finalised. The Ministry of Law and Justice had returned the draft rules after the ordinance expired, citing the absence of legal authority to frame them under the expired measure.
The federal government had not enacted a replacement local government law by the time of the hearing.
Commission Directs Authorities to Proceed
The ECP decided to proceed under the existing 2015 legislation rather than allow further delays while the legal framework remained unresolved.
During the proceedings, Interior Secretary officials reportedly acknowledged the facts presented by the commission but noted that proceeding under the 2015 law would require earlier steps in the election process to be discontinued.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said the completed delimitation exercise would not be affected by holding elections under the existing law.
He also expressed concern over the prolonged delay, observing that the circumstances gave the impression that the government was not willing to hold local government elections in Islamabad.
The commission emphasised that local government elections must be conducted in accordance with the Constitution and applicable law.
Islamabad Polls Have Been Delayed for Years
Islamabad has been without a newly elected local government since the previous elected system completed its term in February 2021. Repeated legal and administrative complications have prevented fresh elections from taking place.
The latest decision is intended to move the process forward under the existing legal framework. The issuance of the election schedule is the next key step, while the specific polling date and other milestones will depend on the formally announced programme.
The development is expected to renew attention on local representation and the administration of civic services in Pakistan’s federal capital.
