The Islamabad High Court has put a temporary halt on the local government election schedule for the federal capital. Justice Umair Majeed Malik of the IHC issued a stay order against the Election Commission of Pakistan notification dated October 21. The court also directed the ECP to submit its response by November 26.
This decision came after a petition filed by Amjad Ali challenged the election process. The petitioner argued that fresh delimitation took place in 2024. Later a new Local Government Ordinance was introduced in 2026. Once that ordinance stopped operating, the election schedule was announced without restoring the earlier delimitation. The court accepted these concerns and reserved its verdict before announcing the stay.
Islamabad has remained without an elected local government since February 2021. Under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act 2017, the Election Commission is legally bound to conduct fresh local polls within 120 days after the previous term ends. Despite this clear requirement, various legal and administrative issues have delayed the process for more than five years.
The court order arrived just one day after Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja made strong remarks against the federal government. While hearing a case related to the NA-77 by-election in Gujranwala, the CEC accused the government of trying to sabotage the upcoming Islamabad local government elections. He pointed out that the government had ordered teachers not to be assigned election duties. The CEC questioned how the commission would manage staff if such directions continued. He firmly stated that the local government elections in Islamabad would still take place as planned and stressed that the Election Commission gives directions to the government, not the other way around.
The stay order has created uncertainty about the future timeline of the polls. Political observers note that prolonged delays in local government elections weaken democratic representation at the grassroots level in the capital. Residents of Islamabad continue to wait for elected representatives who can address local issues more effectively.
The IHC notice to the ECP and the November 26 deadline mean the matter will return to court soon. Until then, the election schedule remains suspended. Many hope that a clear legal path will emerge so that the long overdue local government elections can finally be held in a transparent and lawful manner.
