The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has mandated the immediate holding of local government elections in the federal capital, concluding a substantial period of postponement that has left the city without elected local bodies since early 2021.
According to an official information today, in its formal ruling, the electoral body highlighted that the tenure of Islamabad’s previous local governments concluded on February 14, 2021.
According to constitutional requirements, both the ECP and the federal government were obligated to organize new elections within the subsequent one hundred and twenty days of the tenure’s expiration.
The commission”s statement noted that despite this constitutional obligation, the polls were repeatedly deferred due to several reasons.
The directive was issued yesterday following a formal hearing on the matter, which the Election Commission conducted on the 13th of this month. The ECP has instructed that an election schedule be presented without delay.