IHC Suspends Islamabad LG Election Schedule Over ECP Notification
Court issues stay order against the October 21 notification and seeks the Election Commission’s reply by November 26
Islamabad – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – IHC suspends Islamabad LG election schedule after a petition challenged the process. The court issued a stay order against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s notification dated October 21.
Justice Umair Majeed Malik announced the reserved verdict on the petition. The petition asked the court to halt the local government polls in the federal capital.
The petitioner, Amjad Ali, said a new delimitation was carried out in 2024. The election schedule was announced after that. However, a new Local Government Ordinance was introduced in 2026.
His lawyer argued that the ordinance ceased to operate. After that, the schedule was issued without restoring the earlier delimitation.
The court also sent a notice to the ECP. It asked the commission to submit its response by November 26.
The last elected local government in the Islamabad Capital Territory completed its term in February 2021. Fresh elections could not be held since then due to legal and administrative reasons.
Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017 says the commission must hold new local polls within 120 days of the term ending.
The court order came a day after Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja made strong remarks. He accused the federal government of trying to sabotage the polls.
He said this while heading a three-member bench. The bench was hearing a code of conduct case linked to the NA-77 by-election in Gujranwala.
He also said the government ordered that teachers would not be given duty in the Islamabad polls. He asked where the commission would bring staff from.
The CEC made it clear that the elections would be held as per schedule. Now, the stay order has put the process on hold until the court hears the matter again.
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