ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday directed the interior ministry and the ICT chief commissioner to provide pending documents for delimitation of Islamabad’s local government within three days, warning that a 10-day deadline had already lapsed.
A letter marked ‘IMMEDIATE’, issued with the signatures of Additional Director General LGE Chaudhry Nadeem Qasim referred to a meeting of the Commission held on May 13, 2026, saying the required documents for carrying out delimitation and holding local government elections in ICT were still awaited.
The ECP has sought three items - notification of limits of town corporations, notification of the number of union councils in each town corporation and authenticated and updated maps of town corporations showing census charges, circles and blocks.
The letter noted that the commission had earlier given a 10-day timeframe for provision of the data, which had already elapsed.
Warns interior ministry against delay in LG polls as 10-day deadline for delimitation has already lapsed
At its meeting, the commission directed that the notifications and updated maps be provided within three days.
The ECP also indicated that the standing committee may be requested to consider draft legislation, and the matter of amendments to rules may be pursued with the federal cabinet as discussed in the previous meeting.
The letter seen by Dawn was addressed to the interior secretary and the ICT chief commissioner.
The Election Commission of Pakistan added that “your personal attention will be highly appreciated” to expedite the process for delimitation and conduct of local government elections in Islamabad.
Months after postponing local government (LG) polls in the federal capital for the fourth time, the ECP on May 13 directed the interior ministry and Islamabad administration to immediately issue notifications on town corporations’ limits and union councils for local government polls, warning that it would fix the matter for a hearing if there was no progress.
Chairing a meeting, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said holding local government elections was a constitutional requirement under Article 140(A).
He noted that local governments were functioning in KP, Sindh and Balochistan, but elections could not be held in Punjab and Islamabad due to changes in local government laws.
The ECP had directed the interior secretary and chief commissioner to take up the matter immediately with the relevant standing committee and cabinet.
“If no progress is made, the case will be fixed for hearing in the Election Commission,” it said, adding that “if required, this matter will be raised with the federal government at an appropriate level”.
Mr Raja said the presence of senior officers in the meeting meant that the ECP expected the issues to be resolved “amicably” so that the delimitation schedule could be issued and elections held in the capital.
Officials briefed the meeting, saying that Islamabad’s local bodies completed their term on Feb 14, 2021, and no elections have been held since.
The federal government amended the Islamabad Local Government Act 2015 through an ordinance on Jan 10, 2026.
Under the amendments, the Election Commission of Pakistan said it still awaited notification of town corporations’ limits, notification of the number of union councils in each town, maps matching those limits, rules under the ordinance, and amendments proposed by the commission.
The Islamabad chief commissioner told the meeting that the proposed notification on town corporations’ limits and union council numbers had been sent to the interior ministry.
It will go to the relevant standing committee before final approval by the federal cabinet.
The interior secretary assured the ECP of “all possible assistance”.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has conducted delimitations multiple times and issued election schedules on several occasions, only for them to be cancelled later.
A few years ago, elections were even cancelled a day before polling.
Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026
