The federal government has signalled that Islamabad’s local government elections could be postponed again, a day after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) scheduled the polls for December 20. If the delay goes ahead, it would be a potential sixth postponement in the electoral process.
On Thursday, the government laid a report from the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior in the House. The report concerns the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2026. PML-N lawmaker Anjum Aqeel Khan presented it on behalf of committee chairman Raja Khurram Shahzad.
Amendment bill would create three town corporations
According to the draft, the Islamabad Capital Territory will consist of three town corporations, each with a mayor and two deputy mayors. The bill says the federal government will notify these corporations and carry out delimitation of union councils based on population.
Also read: ECP Announces Schedule for Islamabad Local Government Polls · Islamabad local government elections ordered under 2015 law
That process means the polls would not be possible on December 20. Following the tabling of the committee report, the government is most likely to get the bill passed during the ongoing session, which runs until October 27.
ECP sets November nomination dates and appoints officers
The local government polls were originally set for February 15 this year, but were postponed after the ordinance was promulgated. The ECP ordered its office on Wednesday to fulfil the constitutional and legal requirements for holding the polls, and the schedule was then announced.
Nomination papers will be received from November 2 to 6. The Commission has also notified 49 officers as district returning officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers. Separately, it has fixed October 28 for a hearing on the conduct of local government elections in Punjab and cantonment boards across the country.
