ISLAMABAD: The local government elections in Islamabad were postponed for the third time on Wednesday after the Election Commission of Pakistan issued a notification “to hold in abeyance” the election programme issued on Aug 20 till further orders.

According to the ECP notification, “Consequent upon the recent amendments made by parliament in Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015….. dated August 30, 2024, the Election Commission of Pakistan has decided to hold in abeyance, the election programme issue vide its notification even dated 20-08-2024 for conduct of local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory, till further orders.”

On August 20, the ECP extended the poll schedule, deciding that the polling would be held on October 9, instead of the earlier announced date of September 29. It had said the decision was taken at the request of local politicians.

However, the notification on Wednesday about postponing polls “till further orders” came after amendments to the local government act which parliament recently passed amid opposition by the PTI. In the new bill, the government has increased the number of general seats of union councils (UCs) from six to nine and the seats of women from two to three. The ECP also did not mention new delimitations, which will likely be required before elections due to the increase in seats.

PTI leader says will move high court against decision

Speaking to Dawn, former opposition leader of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad Shiraz Kiani said the PTI will move the Islamabad High Court against the decision.

“We had told the media a couple of weeks back that efforts were afoot to delay the polls as the government cannot afford a defeat in Islamabad polls. They [government] knew that they could not win elections from the PTI,” he said.

The PML-N chief whip in the National Assembly and an MNA from Islamabad, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, said that if there was a little delay in elections there should be no issue as “we want to introduce the best local government model in Islamabad, like New Delhi and London”.

His views were supported by another PML-N MNA from Islamabad, Raja Khurram Nawaz. He said the government wanted to have a vibrant local government system to resolve issues of the public at the grassroots level.

Polls delay

Earlier, elections were all set to be held in 50 UCs, but the former PDM government said instead of 50 UCs, there should be 101 union councils. On this pretext, the elections were delayed.

Later, when arrangements were finalised to hold elections in 101 UCs, the PDM government came up with a new idea of increasing the number of UCs from 101 to 125. Now, the elections were going to be held in 125 UCs, but the government came up with another idea of increasing the number of general seats in UCs.

It may be noted that the last elections were held in 2016 which were won by PML-N and Sheikh Anser Aziz was elected as the first mayor of Islamabad. However, the MCI failed to deliver as it could not get the patronage of the then-ruling party, the PML-N. The MCI was neither given funds by the federal government nor were its financial rules finalised for the proper disposal of works.

Later, the PTI came to power at the centre but it also did not pay any heed to the MCI. As a result, the first-ever local government completed its tenure without even paying the due honorarium to the union council (UC) chairmen.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2024