The Election Commission has announced that local government elections in Islamabad will take place on February 15. Nomination papers will be submitted from December 22 to 27, the Election Commission announced.
The verification of candidates’ nomination papers will take place from December 30 to January 3, the Election Commission added. Election tokens will be awarded to candidates on January 16.
Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon will act as the district returning officer for the local government elections. Local government elections will be held across 125 union councils in Islamabad.
The vote will be conducted in accordance with the Local Government Act 2015.
The federal capital has been without an elected mayor since February 2021. Since Islamabad was established as the national capital in 1967, only two elected mayors have served the city, holding office between 2015 and 2021. After the last local government term (LG) in the Islamabad Capital Territory ended on 14 February, 2021 has been postponed repeatedly under various pretexts.
Read: ECP holds local polls in Islamabad
The Election Commission of Pakistan announced that local government elections will be held in Islamabad on November 18, issuing a long-awaited decision on the delayed polls in the federal capital. The ECP released its reserved judgment in the case on Monday, ruling that the recent amendments to the Islamabad Local Government Act 2015 were against the constitution and the law.
In its written order, the ECP had said that the secretary of the local government department could not conduct elections for women and other reserved seats, noting that appointment of district returning officers (DROs), returning officers (ROs) and other poll officials was the sole authority of the commission.
Local governments in Islamabad are governed by the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015. Section 29 of this Act provides that the term of a local government extends over five years from the date of its constituent meeting.
Read more: IHC criticizes delays in Islamabad LG polls
Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) held its first meeting on 15 February 2016 when Sheikh Anser Aziz was elected as the Mayor. He served until his resignation in 2020, after which Adil Gillani was elected to complete the remaining LG term. This local government term ended on 14 February 2021.
Under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP is required to hold fresh local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of a term, which meant elections should have been conducted in June 2021. Yet, more than four and a half years later, the capital continues to function without elected local representation.
