The saga of delayed local government elections in Pakistan's federal capital, Islamabad, has taken another perplexing turn. The electoral process, which has been stuck in a cycle of scheduling and postponement for years, now faces the strong likelihood of being deferred for an indefinite period for the fifth time. This comes despite the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) having already accepted over 3000 nomination papers from aspiring candidates.
A History of Missed Deadlines and Constitutional Questions
The roots of the current impasse trace back to the conclusion of the first and only local government term in Islamabad. The PML-N secured victory in the 2015–16 polls, leading to Sheikh Anser Aziz's election as mayor. The constitutional mandate required fresh elections within 120 days after the term ended on 14 February 2021, setting a deadline of June 2021. That deadline was the first of many to be missed.
The ECP issued a schedule for 2024, only to see it derailed and rescheduled for 9 October 2024. That plan was also scrapped when parliamentarians moved to amend the Local Government Act, forcing the commission to put its schedule in abeyance. The latest scheduled date was 15 February 2026, but expectations are high for yet another postponement.
Legal Amendments and Political Apprehensions
The primary official reason cited for the impending delay is the need to incorporate recent amendments to the Local Government Act, 2015. The federal cabinet has approved a significant change: replacing the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) with three separate "Town Corporations." Each proposed town corporation would align, as far as practicable, with the territorial limits of one of Islamabad's three National Assembly constituencies.
Former ECP Secretary Kanwar Dilshad expressed astonishment at the situation, questioning the logic of scheduling polls only to approve amendments afterward. He stated this move constitutes a clear violation of the election act and Article 218 of the constitution. Dilshad warned that if postponed again, the elections may not be announced anytime soon.
Political analysts suggest that beyond legal complexities, a political fear of holding the polls is a dominant factor behind the continuous delays, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty around grassroots democracy in the capital.
The Complex Election Structure Now in Limbo
The now-suspended election schedule outlined a meticulous five-phase process for Islamabad's 125 Union Councils:
- Phase One: Direct election on a party basis for 1,125 general seats across all Union Councils.
- Phase Two: Election for 125 reserved seats for Women, Workers/Farmers, Businesspersons/Technocrats, and Youth, plus 125 Non-Muslim seats.
- Phase Three: Election of 125 Joint Candidates for Chairman and Vice Chairman of each Union Council.
- Phase Four: The 125 elected Chairmen would automatically become General Members of the MCI (now proposed as Town Corporations). Reserved seats in the corporation were also to be filled indirectly.
- Phase Five: The final step involved the indirect election of one Mayor and three Deputy Mayors.
This entire elaborate structure, designed to establish a representative local government, remains in a state of suspended animation. The proposed shift to a three-town corporation model would fundamentally alter this architecture, necessitating a complete reset of the electoral process and further prolonging the wait for empowered local governance in Islamabad.
