ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has given an undertaking in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that local bodies elections in the capital would be held within four months, as the court barred the government from increasing the number of union councils (UCs) after the announcement of the schedule.

IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz was hearing the intra-court appeals of the federal government and the ECP filed against the direction of a single-member bench which directed for the local government (LG) elections on Dec 31.

The division bench reiterated that the government could not change the number of UCs in the federal capital after the announcement of the election schedule. The IHC chief justice remarked that the government, however, could increase the UCs’ number before the announcement of the election schedule.

During the course of the hearing, ECP Law Director General Mohammad Arshad submitted a report before the IHC and stated that the commission would conduct elections in Islamabad’s 125 UCs in 120 days after completing the delimitation and other formalities.

Commission says Rs150-200 million needed for electoral exercise; govt barred from increasing UCs after schedule’s announcement

Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Duggal informed the court that the government had amended the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act to give the increase in the number of UCs legal backing.

Justice Farooq remarked that this increase is even enough for the next decade. The ECP official said the commission had also highlighted the required funding for the LG elections. In response to a query, he said the commission would require Rs150 to Rs200 million.

During the last hearing, the court sought an undertaking from the federal government that it would not increase the number of UCs after the announcement of the schedule. Additional Attorney General Duggal assured the court that the federal government would not change the UCs numbers after the schedule was announced.

The court also directed the appellants to approach the ECP against their objection related to the delimitation of the UCs and transfer of votes. The aggrieved voters in nine UCs, through their counsel Raja Inam Ameen Minhas, filed petitions against incorrect electoral rolls.

According to the petitions, as many as 10,000 voters have erroneously been registered in other than their own UCs. Advocate Minhas took the stance before the court that the transfer of votes was a violation of the fundamental rights of the voters, as they would lose the right to elect their representative in the local bodies polls.

He said the real stakeholders were the voters while the others, including the candidates, are the beneficiaries of the LG system. Subsequently, the court disposed of the appeals.

‘Increase in UCs’

The LG elections were scheduled to be held on Dec 31, 2022; however, the federal government on Dec 19 increased the UCs from 101 to 125. The ECP on the very next day rejected this increase and vowed to hold the elections as per the schedule.

The federal government filed a petition before the IHC and the court asked the commission to examine the legal aspects after hearing the government’s point of view.

The ECP on Dec 27 postponed the LG elections. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Jamat-i-Islami challenged this decision before the IHC. Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir after a day-to-day hearing allowed the petitions of the PTI and JI, and directed the ECP to hold the elections as per schedule on Dec 31. It may be mentioned that in 2015 LB elections were held in Islamabad in 50 UCs.

The last year’s elections of the local bodies were scheduled in June, however, these were delayed after the government increased the UCs to 101.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2023