ISLAMABAD: After several cancellations, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday issued yet another schedule for holding the local government elections in Islamabad - on Feb 15, 2026.
However, the PTI local chapter expressed doubts and said because of the fear of its defeat, the PML-N government may again opt for an escape route and cancel the polls.
The ruling PML-N Islamabad chapter said they were all set to win the elections and get their mayor elected as they did in 2015-16.
According to the schedule, nomination papers will be issued on December 19 and from December 22 to 27 (excluding Dec 25 holiday) candidates can submit the papers. After completion of various stages, the elections will be held on Feb 15 in the 125 union councils of Islamabad.
PTI still doubtful and says fearing its defeat, govt will again opt for an escape route
The term of the last local government expired in February 2021, and since then the elections have been delayed under different pretexts, and around 2.5 million residents of Islamabad continue to face issues ranging from water shortage to unpaved streets.
Earlier, ECP had conducted delimitation of constituencies multiple times and issued an election schedules at least thrice only to be cancelled later. Even a couple of years ago, the elections were cancelled a day before polling.
Former deputy mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi of PML-N termed the allegation of PTI baseless, stating that his party won the last elections held in 2015-16 and this time too it will win it comfortably.
“Still we have concerns on this election schedule as we want to have a better local government system based on new legislation as a committee has already been working on it. But if ECP wants to hold the polls in February, we will defeat PTI comfortably,” he said and added that record development work had been carried out in Islamabad while many more were in the pipeline. He said people of Islamabad knew which party delivered and which party like the PTI did politics under a false narrative.
On the other hand, PTI local leader Raja Sheeraz Kiani said that despite growing challenges and hurdles being created by the government against the PTI, his party will win the local government elections comfortably. “Our performance in general elections remained outstanding; people know history of form 45 and 47 of last general elections,” he said and added that PTI had strong candidates in all union councils.
“People of Islamabad have been facing several issues including shortage of water, no development work in rural areas, a ban on utility connections in rural areas. In zone III, people constructed houses on their own land but are unable to get utility connections” he said.
Traders and labourers are already against the government for its policies. Similarly, he said, landowners in Islamabad had also serious concerns over the delay in payment of compensation against their houses and land acquired by the CDA.
It is relevant to note here that when the local government’s term ended in 2021, the PTI was in power and elections where slated to be held within 120 days. However, the PTI government paid no serious heed to conduct the polls.
Later, the PDM came into power and it too managed to drag the elections. During the PDM’s tenure, the elections were all set to be held in 50 union councils (UCs), but the government pleaded that instead of 50 there should be 101 union councils in the federal capital. On this pretext, the elections were delayed.
Later, when arrangements were finalised to hold elections in 101 UCs, the PDM government came up with a new “idea” of increasing the number of UCs from 101 to 125. Then, elections were scheduled in 125 UCs, but in September last year the government decided to increase the number of general seats in the UCs. However, ECP has now decided to hold elections on 125 seats.
The first and last LG elections in the capital were held in 2015-16 which were won by the PML-N and Sheikh Anser Aziz was elected as the mayor of Islamabad. That time, there were 50 UCs in the capital.
Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2025
