ISLAMABAD: If all goes as planned, the much-delayed local government elections in the federal capital will be held on September 29, as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued the election schedule on Thursday.

In this election, one million voters would cast their votes to elect their representatives in the 125 union councils of Islamabad. The ECP also barred the executive authorities of the city from announcing any development project and using state resources to influence the elections in favour of a particular candidate. The ECP stated that after the issuance of this schedule, no transfer/posting of government officers and officials would be carried out in Islamabad without its prior approval.

The ECP despite issuing schedules twice in recent years could not hold the local government election in Islamabad even though the local government ended its tenure in February 2021. The election should have been held within six months but the ECP failed to conduct polls.

A schedule issued by the election watchdog on Thursday said that polling would be held on 29 September and results would be announced from September 30 to October 4.

ECP bars authorities from announcing new projects, bans transfers

The schedule said that from August 15, “public notice inviting nomination papers to be issued by returning officer”. From August 16 to 20, nomination papers could be filed. On September 6, electoral symbols will be issued and polling will be held on September 29.

Meanwhile, the ECP also notified the district returning officer, returning officers, and assistant returning officers. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon has been notified as the district returning officer.

Elections are going to be held under the Local Government Act 2015 on the basis of which the previous polls were held. Though members of the previous Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) on many occasions criticised the act for alleged loopholes, the PTI and PML-N governments could not make any changes to the law. In the last elections held in 2015, PML-N and PTI candidates gave tough time to each other.

Those elections were won by PML-N and Sheikh Anser Aziz was elected as the first mayor of Islamabad. However, the MCI failed to deliver as it could not get the patronage of the then-ruling party, the PML-N. The MCI was not given any funds from the federal government nor its financial rules were finalised for proper disposal of works.

Later, the PTI came to power at the centre but it too did not pay any heed to the MCI. As a result, the first-ever local government completed its tenure in February last year without even paying the due honorarium to the UC chairmen. On the last day in their office, the UC chairmen were seen making efforts to get their honorarium but to no avail.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024