ISLAMABAD   -  As expected from the hasty legislation in the parliament, the top election regulatory authority yesterday put off the Local Government (LG) polls in the federal capital that were scheduled to be held on October 9. The ruling parties last month had adopted the amended election bill, 2024, which mainly sought to increase the number of general members, from six to nine, in each of Islamabad’s 125 union councils. This amendment mainly becomes the reason for a new delimitation of constituencies.

According to the rules, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has to immediately launch the delimitation exercise for Local Governments afresh, in order to match the criteria after the increased number of general members or wards in the UCs. The body had earlier launched the delimitation exercise for the ICT LG polls around three months ago to complete it by July 23. “The ECP has decided to hold in abeyance, the election programme issued vide its notification even number dated 20/8/2024 for conduct of local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory, till further orders,” stated a notification issued by ECP. According to an amendment to Section-7 of Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2024, the ECP shall delimit union councils into nine wards for the election of members on the general seats.

Previously, there were six wards in a union council.

Another substitution of Section-11 noted there will be chairman and vice chairman of a union council as joint candidates, nine general members, one woman, one peasant or worker or business or technocrat, one youth member and one non-Muslim.

“To facilitate the participation of various political parties and prospective candidates in the election process and to provide them with all possible accommodations, the election commission has officially notified the revised election programme, according to which polling will now be held on October 9, 2024,” said a statement issued by ECP.

The term of the local government expired around three years ago [February 2021]. The top election authority, around three months ago, once again had started the preparation of a preliminary list of the UCs in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) from June 1 and now the twice postponed were scheduled in October.