ISLAMABAD: Despite the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) having announced the schedule for local government elections in Islamabad on October 9, the federal government pushed through a controversial amendment to the Islamabad Local Government Act in the National Assembly on Monday, raising concerns about a potential delay in the elections.
The bill, introduced by Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar on behalf of the interior minister, was passed amidst strong opposition from PTI, with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urging that the legislation be halted, as the election schedule had already been set.
Opposition members sought assurance from the law minister that the elections would proceed as planned. However, Tarar deferred responsibility to the ECP, stating that conducting elections is the commission’s domain.
PML-N representatives defended the bill, claiming the amendments aimed to establish a more robust local government system in Islamabad. However, the bill’s passage, which increased the number of general seats in union councils (UCs) from six to nine and women’s seats from two to three, requires new constituency delimitation—a process that could prevent the elections from taking place on October 9 as scheduled.
The passage of the bill has sparked accusations from PTI, with former opposition leader in the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and PTI leader Sheraz Kiani alleging that the government is attempting to avoid elections, fearing a PTI victory. He pointed out that this was the third time the government had delayed the elections under the guise of legislative changes.
Meanwhile, PML-N’s former deputy mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi refuted claims of election avoidance, asserting that the new legislation aims to improve the structure of union councils.
Officials indicate that around one million voters are expected to participate in the upcoming elections for the 125 union councils in Islamabad. The previous local government’s term ended in February 2021, and according to election laws, new elections should have been conducted within six months. However, the current government’s repeated changes to the UC structure have led to ongoing delays.
