ECP postpones Islamabad local government elections

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday postponed the local government elections following a modification in the union councils of the federal capital which were supposed to take place in Islamabad on December 31.

A five-member bench reserved the decision earlier in the day after the case’s arguments were over.

The federal government is being represented by former attorney general Ashtar Ausaf, who stated to the court at today’s hearing that Islamabad’s union councils were expanded in response to the city’s population growth.

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikander Sultan Raja enquired as to whether the census report had been made public.

Ausaf told the bench that the ECP needed to take into consideration the population growth after the census office had informed them of it.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) acknowledged the population growth but gave the Election Commission permission to make the final decision after hearing the government’s side, according to Ausaf.

Elections have in the past been postponed even after the schedule was made public. According to Ausaf, the Election Commission cannot deprive citizens of their basic rights and must make decisions by the law and the constitution.

The attorney added that ECP must conduct delimitation in Islamabad in light of the new law after the Parliament enacted a bill increasing the number of union councils.