Islamabad’s long-delayed local government elections have encountered another major setback after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the upcoming polls on Friday. The decision puts the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) latest election schedule on hold until further court proceedings. Consequently, voting scheduled for December 20 now faces fresh uncertainty.
Justice Umair Majeed Malik, heading a single-member bench, granted interim relief while hearing a petition challenging the election process. The court also directed the relevant respondents to submit their reports and detailed comments before the next hearing.
The petition was filed last week by Chaudhry Amjad Ali. He challenged the ECP’s short order and subsequent election schedule, both issued on October 21, 2026.
The petitioner argued that elections could not proceed until authorities settled the legal status of constituency delimitation under the applicable local government law.
“Operation of the impugned order dated Oct 21, 2026, and the impugned election schedule dated Oct 21, 2026, as revised by the Election Commission, shall remain suspended until the next date of hearing,” the court order read.
Furthermore, the court issued notices to the respondents and scheduled the next hearing for November 26, 2026.
Advocate Barrister Qazi Adil Aziz represented the petitioner alongside Malik Talha and Muhammad Yaseen Iqbal.
Why Islamabad’s Local Government Election Schedule Was Challenged
The petition raises questions about constitutional requirements and changes to Islamabad’s local government structure. The petitioner’s lawyers referred to Articles 140-A(2), 218(3) and 219(d) of the Constitution.
They argued that the ECP was “duty-bound to hold local government elections honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law”.
According to the counsel, legislative changes created a legal complication between the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015, and the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Ordinance, 2026.
Under the original 2015 law, Islamabad’s local government structure included one Metropolitan Corporation and 125 Union Councils. Each Union Council also contained nine wards.
The delimitation process for this arrangement began in December 2024. Subsequently, the ECP announced an election programme on December 26, 2025. However, authorities later withdrew that schedule.
Meanwhile, the 2026 ordinance introduced significant changes to the capital’s local government structure. It replaced the Metropolitan Corporation arrangement with three Town Corporations.
The ordinance also changed the procedure for establishing and delimiting Union Councils. Moreover, it removed the nine-ward arrangement and introduced delimitation based on census blocks.
As a result, the number of Union Councils increased from 125 to 130.
Expiry of Local Government Ordinance Raises Legal Questions
The petition also highlighted developments following the introduction of the 2026 ordinance. According to the lawyers, the ECP issued revised delimitation timelines on August 25, 2026.
The commission subsequently completed the process and published the final list of 130 Union Councils on October 14.
However, the ordinance received only one 120-day extension before ceasing to have effect under Article 89 of the Constitution. Consequently, the original Local Government Act, 2015, became applicable again.
The petitioner’s lawyers argued that the ECP then issued its October 21 order and election schedule under the revived 2015 law.
They maintained that the commission had not addressed the delimitation requirements under the original legislation. These included 125 Union Councils, their nine wards and the Metropolitan Corporation.
According to the petition, delimitation conducted under the 2026 ordinance could not legally support elections under the revived 2015 law.
Therefore, the lawyers demanded fresh delimitation and preparation of electoral rolls under the original local government law and Elections Act, 2017.
They further argued that conducting elections without completing these requirements would violate Article 218(3) of the Constitution. Additionally, they warned that proceeding with an incomplete electoral framework could waste public funds.
After hearing the initial arguments, the IHC decided that the issues required further examination. Therefore, it suspended the ECP’s order and election schedule until November 26.
ECP Faces Allegations of Interference as Election Delays Continue
The latest court intervention comes amid growing tensions surrounding Islamabad’s local government elections. On Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja accused the federal government of attempting to sabotage the polls.
Meanwhile, the capital’s local government elections have experienced repeated delays since the previous local government’s term expired in February 2021.
Over the years, the ECP has announced several election schedules but subsequently cancelled them for different reasons. These included legislative amendments and judicial interventions.
The delimitation of constituencies and Union Councils has taken place six times. Similarly, the commission has issued four election schedules, reflecting the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the process.
The ECP had maintained that the Local Government Act, 2015, remained in force. Therefore, it decided to conduct elections under the original legislation.
Under that arrangement, elections would take place across 50 constituencies. Subsequently, elected representatives would choose the mayor and deputy mayors.
December 20 Polling Date Now Faces Uncertainty
The ECP had already completed several stages of the electoral process before announcing December 20 as polling day. It had also allocated four days, from December 21 to 24, for consolidating election results.
However, the Islamabad High Court’s latest order has suspended the election schedule until further proceedings.
The next hearing on November 26 could prove important in determining how the commission proceeds. Until then, Islamabad’s local government elections remain on hold, adding another chapter to the capital’s prolonged electoral uncertainty.
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