ECP withdraws Islamabad local body polls schedule following ordinance

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has withdrawn the previously announced schedule for local government elections in Islamabad following the promulgation of a presidential ordinance that altered the structure and electoral framework of the capital’s local government system.

In a statement issued on Friday, the ECP said the decision was taken as the “structure of local governments and mode of local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory have been changed” after the promulgation of amendments to the Islamabad Local Government Act 2015.

Earlier this week, President Asif Ali Zardari approved an ordinance introducing wide-ranging changes to the local government framework in the federal capital. The amendments abolish the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and replace it with three town corporations, while also expanding the powers and tenure of a government-appointed administrator.

Under the revised law, the administrator’s tenure is no longer capped at six months in the absence of an elected local government. The ordinance further authorises the administrator to levy taxes, fees, rents, tolls and surcharges — powers previously linked to an elected local body.

The federal cabinet approved a total of 14 amendments to the Act, including changes to governance structures and administrative authority. The move prompted criticism from opposition parties, civil society organisations, human rights activists and residents of Islamabad, who argued that the ordinance undermines local democracy.