ISLAMABAD: The local government elections in the federal capital are scheduled to take place in four months, according to information provided to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The high court asked him to submit a schedule for holding polls in Islamabad on Thursday, and the leading election authority responded by stating as much. Due to the government’s decision to increase the number of union councils (UCs) in the city, the ECP decided to postpone the LG elections that were planned to take place in the nation’s capital on December 31.
The ECP claimed that it was committed to upholding its constitutional obligation to hold elections on time and blamed the federal and provincial governments for the delay in the LG polls.
In addition, it noted that the ECP had issued the calendar for the votes in Islamabad but that it had been deemed void by the high court. It was noted that improper adjustments to the legislation enacted by the governments caused obstacles in the way of the LG polls.
Additionally, the ECP has suggested revising the Election Act 219 and Article 140-A of the Constitutions, claiming that doing so will prevent governments from changing the laws just before elections.
As the government was referring the subject to the court, the judge asked the ECP official if the commission was prepared to conduct the polls on December 31.
Transporting the electoral materials, according to director general of ECP, would take time. Elections on December 31 could not be held under the new circumstances. The election statute gave the federal government permission to raise the number of UCs in the capital, according to the attorney for the commission.
The court ordered AGP and the ECP to file their written replies on Friday after hearing the arguments.
