Delimitation of constituencies: The deadline for voters’ objections expires tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The deadline for the electoral officials to decide on the voters’ objections to the ongoing delimitation of constituencies exercise expires tomorrow (Friday), as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is scheduled to complete the delimitation drive this month— in order to hold local government elections in the federal capital. The disposal of objections by the voters concerned before the delimitation authorities began on August 28 this year, to end on October 2 (tomorrow), in accordance with the delimitation schedule stipulated by the ECP. Moreover, the last date of communication of decisions of the delimitation authorities to the delimitation committees is October 9. The final list of the delimited constituencies/union councils in the ICT is scheduled to be issued by the ECP on October 14. On January 16 this year, the ECP notified the postponement of LG polls in the ICT, that were scheduled on February 15, citing the promulgation of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 by the government on 10 January. The said ordinance provided for introducing an LG system in Islamabad that is to comprise three town corporations, each to be headed by a mayor and two deputy mayors. The ordinance was subsequently extended for a period of 120 days with effect from May 9, and eventually expired on September 5. Based on this ordinance, the government has planned to move the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Parliament for legislation. Previously, on September 4, 2024, the ECP notified to “hold in abeyance” the LG polls in Islamabad that were scheduled on October 9, 2024, following the passage of the new LG laws by the Parliament then, in the form of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Act 2024, dated August 30. This law increased the number of union councils in the ICT from 101 to 125. The ECP has repeatedly stated in the press releases that it is ready to hold the LG polls but the governments concerned amend the related LG laws whenever the LG polls are announced that causes delay in these elections. In a press release issued on July 31 this year, the ECP revealed that the federal government had refused to entertain an electoral body’s proposal to carry out parliamentary legislation in order to restrict the federal and provincial governments from amending the LG laws after the expiry of the respective local bodies’ terms in order to avoid delay in the LG polls. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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