The federal government has reportedly signalled the possibility of postponing Islamabad’s local government elections once again, a day after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) scheduled the polls for December 20, marking a potential sixth delay in the electoral process.
The government on Thursday laid a report of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior on the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (Ordinance No. II of 2026) in the National Assembly, The News reported.
PML-N lawmaker Anjum Aqeel Khan stood in for the committee chairman Raja Khurram Shahzad and laid the report in the House. According to the draft of the amendment bill, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) shall consist of three town corporations, each consisting of a mayor and two deputy mayors.
The amendment bill provides that the federal government shall notify three town corporations and carry out delimitation of union councils on the basis of population, which means the polls would not be possible on December 20.
Following the tabling of the committee report in the National Assembly, the government is most likely to get the bill passed during the ongoing session, which will continue till October 27.
Last time, the local government polls were to be held on February 15 this year but these were postponed following promulgation of the ordinance.
The ECP ordered its office on Wednesday to fulfil the constitutional and legal requirements for holding the polls. Following the directive, the election schedule was announced, according to which the nomination papers would be received from November 2 to 6.
The Commission has notified 49 officers as district returning officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers.
Separately, the Election Commission has fixed October 28 for hearing in the conduct of local government elections in Punjab and cantonment boards across the country.
