ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday formed a five-member committee to “deliberate, finalise and submit to Ministry of Interior for approval a draft of amendments in ICT LG (Conduct of Elections) Rules, 2015 in accordance with ICT LG. (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.”

According to a notification issued here, the committee is headed by Chief Commissioner Islamabad Mohammad Ali Randhawa and Special Secretary (Policy) ECP Zafar Iqbal Hussain, Additional Director General (LGE) ECP Ch. Nadeem Qasim, DC Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon and any other representative nominated by the Chief Commissioner will be its members.

According to a notification, the committee is mandated to deliberate, finalise and submit for approval to the Ministry of Interior the following documents: “Notification of demarcation of Town Corporations in ICT.

Notification of the number of Union Councils in each Town Corporation.

Provision of Authenticated Maps in accordance with the Notification of demarcation showing therein the names of areas, census charges, circles and blocks of Town Corporations.

To deliberate, finalise and submit to Ministry of Interior for approval a draft of amendments in ICT LG. (Conduct of Elections) Rules, 2015 in accordance with ICT LG. (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.”

The Chief Commissioner, shall arrange meetings of the committee immediately to finalise the preparation and submission of documents mentioned above on priority basis.

The convener of the cshall further ensure convening the meetings of the committee on weekly basis minimum till the time all issues relating to the conduct of Local Government Elections in ICT are resolved.

Repeated postponement of the local government elections in Islamabad - six times in five years – according to Pattan-Coalition38 (a network of associations, community-based organisations, labour unions and human rights activists) represents a direct assault on grassroots democracy and raises serious concerns about the subordination of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to the executive.

It said democratic participation in the federal capital had been systematically obstructed, at enormous financial and political cost.

The research report pointed out that a total of 7,866 candidates in two aborted elections collectively paid Rs37.74 million in nomination fees. Beyond this, candidates spent heavily on legal representation and campaign mobilisation.

The total estimated expenditure for the two cancelled elections stands at a staggering Rs544.30 million.

“This is not merely financial loss, it is the erosion of citizens’ constitutional right to representation too. The report stated that 70pc of candidates and 61pc of voters opposed the amendments made to the Local Government Act 2015 through an ordinance when National Assembly was in session.

It pointed out that 66pc of candidates and 49pc of voters rejected the abolition of the metropolitan corporation.

“Over 50pc opposed indirect elections for town corporations. 90pc of candidates and 60pc of voters rejected inclusion of businessmen and technocrats in workers/peasant’s quota seats. These amendments were introduced through an ordinance, without stakeholders’ consultation, during an active session of the National Assembly. Respondents widely perceive this as executive overreach designed to centralise control and weaken elected local bodies.”

Importantly, 40pc of candidates opposing these amendments belonged to ruling parties, demonstrating that resistance transcends partisan lines, read the report.

The report pointed that more than one-third respondents believed elections were postponed out of fear of defeat of the ruling parties. It said that nearly 40pc blamed the bureaucracy, alleging resistance to working under elected representatives.

“Over 10pc believe members of the National Assembly seek to preserve monopoly over patronage and development funds. Together, these perceptions suggest a nexus of political and bureaucratic interests actively undermining local democracy.”

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2026