Islamabad - The government has sought postponement of local bodies’ elections in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) until end year 2015 due to the compulsions of local administration and police with regard to the security arrangements in the month of Muharram, The Nation has learnt reliably.
The interior ministry has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take into consideration the compulsions of ICT police and local administration during the month of Muharram before notifying revised schedule for the local bodies’ elections.
Earlier, the ICT administration had cited its compulsions to the ministry, saying in view of the prevailing law and order situation in the country and security threats, the responsibility of ICT administration and the police with regard to maintenance of law and order and security situation in ICT has enhanced, particularly during the month of Muharram.
According to a letter, the chief commissioner Islamabad had told the interior ministry that the ICT administration and police are required to make foolproof security arrangements at mosques and Imambargahs in ICT starting from 1st Muharram till end of the month of Safar-ul-Muzaffar (mid-December 2015). “The officers and police force are deputed for the security of Muharram processions on daily basis.
The officers of district administration and police would be engaged in security duties from the commencement of Muharram till Chehlum,” the letter added as the government sought postponement of elections until end of 2015.
The ICT administration said the ECP is likely to notify the revised schedule for local bodies’ election in ICT.
It requested to the ministry to ask ECP to consider the compulsions of the concerned authorities before notifying schedule for the LG elections as overlapping the revised election schedule with previously referred to period may result in any unpleasant incident.
The elections were previously scheduled for July 25 this year. However, due to the absence of a relevant law, the Supreme Court had rejected the schedule.
The first-ever local bodies’ elections in ICT are hit by controversies since the government planned it like absence of a relevant law. The latest move on the part of the government will delay it further for almost two more months.
Soon after announcing the schedule for the first-ever party-based local government polls in ICT in September, the ECP approached the Supreme Court yet again, seeking permission to withdraw that schedule.
That time, however, the ECP had assured the apex court that polling day, i.e. Nov 30, will remain unchanged even if the election schedule issued on Aug 28 is withdrawn and a fresh one issued in its place.
The commission explained that the election schedule of August 28 was issued by it before the completion of the process of delimitation of constituencies and, if not changed, will entail legal implications since the schedule was premature and needed to be announced after Oct 13. On March 10, ECP had presented the proposed polling date of July 25, but later altered it to November 30 when it announced the election schedule in August. The delimitation process is also due for completion on October 13. On August 27, 2015, the Supreme Court directed the ECP to issue schedule of local government elections in the ICT. The first-ever local government elections in the ICT – which comprises Islamabad city and adjoining rural areas – were to be held on November 30.