Islamabad LG Polls Delay Likely Again Despite ECP Schedule

Islamabad – (Choudhry Mudasser) – The Islamabad LG polls delay may happen once again. The federal government has hinted that it wants to postpone local government elections in the capital. The hint came just one day after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) fixed December 20 as the polling date. If the plan goes ahead, this will be the sixth delay in the process.

On Thursday, the government placed an important report in the National Assembly. The report was prepared by the Standing Committee on Interior. It deals with the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2026, also known as Ordinance No. II of 2026.

PML-N lawmaker Anjum Aqeel Khan presented the report in the House. He stood in for committee chairman Raja Khurram Shahzad. The News first reported the development.

According to the draft of the bill, Islamabad will have three town corporations. Each one will have a mayor and two deputy mayors.

The bill also gives the federal government two jobs. First, it must officially notify the three town corporations. Second, it must redraw union councils on the basis of population.

This is the main reason the Islamabad LG polls delay looks likely. Fresh delimitation takes time, so voting on December 20 would not be possible under this plan.

Now that the report is in the House, the government is expected to pass the bill soon. The National Assembly session is still going on and will continue until October 27. That leaves only a few days for the bill to move forward.

This is not the first time the vote has been put off. The elections were earlier planned for February 15 this year. They were postponed after the ordinance was issued.

Meanwhile, the ECP has kept its own work going. On Wednesday, it told its office to complete all constitutional and legal steps needed to hold the polls. After that order, the commission released the election schedule.

Under this schedule, candidates can submit their nomination papers from November 2 to 6. The commission has also named 49 officers to work as district returning officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers.

There is another update on the election front. The ECP has fixed October 28 for a hearing on how local government elections are being held in Punjab. The same hearing will also cover cantonment boards across the country.

The two sides now seem to be moving in different directions. The ECP is preparing for a vote in December. The government is working on a new structure that needs more time.

For voters in the capital, the repeated delays mean the wait for a clear and reliable election date goes on. Many people will now watch what the National Assembly decides before October 27.

If the bill is passed, the ECP may need to change its plan. Until then, the December 20 date stands on paper only. Whether the Islamabad LG polls delay becomes official will be known soon.