ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with a request to extend the deadline for submission of nomination papers for the local government elections in Islamabad for at least three days.

According to the application, Secretary Baldiat Committee Anjum Shahzad Tanoli requested the chief election commissioner of Pakistan to extend the deadline for the submission of nomination papers.

“With due respect, this is to draw your kind attention towards the schedule of Local Body elections in Islamabad, wherein the last date for submission of nomination papers has been fixed as 27th December. It is humbly submitted that the Government has announced a local holiday on 26th December, which will significantly affect the smooth process of nomination paper submission,” he stated.

“Islamabad comprises 125 Union Councils, and in each Union Council at least 9 councillors are required to submit their nomination papers. The announced holiday will create serious administrative and logistical difficulties for candidates, proposers and concerned offices, leading to unnecessary congestion and hardship on the final day,” he said.

“In view of the above circumstances, it is respectfully requested that the last date for submission of nomination papers may kindly be extended by at least three [3] days, in the larger interest of transparency, fairness, and effective participation in the democratic process,” Anjum Shahzad Tanoli has stated in application.

Regional President Amir Mughal, while talking to Dawn, said the nomination process for the first phase of the local government elections, covering 125 Union Councils and 1125 councillors, had insufficient time.

He also criticised the amendments made to the Local Government Act 2015, stating that the law was altered with malicious intent to promote rigging and horse trading.

He said direct elections for the chairman and vice chairman had been abolished and a new law had been introduced to manipulate councillors’ loyalty after they win, pressuring them to changing their loyalties.

“Despite these challenges, PTI is committed to actively participate in local elections as the people of Islamabad have always supported PTI and rejected the PML-N,” he claimed.

Mughal also said due to the ECP’s actions in taking away PTI’s election symbol of ‘Bat’, all party workers had been instructed to declare themselves as candidates under the Sunni Ittehad Council in the nomination papers.

The term of the local government expired in February 2021, but elections could not be held and were delayed due to new legislation.

In a notification, the ECP called on voters in the ICT to elect their representatives to the general seats of union councils. It set Dec 19 as the date for public notice inviting nomination papers to be issued by the returning officers (ROs), while Dec 22-27 (excluding Quaid-i-Azam Day) as the dates for filing of nomination papers.

The names of the nominated candidates will be published on Dec 29, and the nomination papers will be scrutinised by the ROs from Dec 30 to Jan 3, 2026. From Jan 5-8, appeals may be filed against the decisions of the ROs to accept or reject the nominations. These appeals will be decided by the Appellate Authority from Jan 9-13, and the revised candidate list will be published on the 14th.

Jan 15 will be the final day of withdrawal of candidature, after which election symbols will be allotted and the list of contesting candidates published. Polling will be held on Feb 15.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2025