Islamabad residents may continue to face issues like water shortages and unpaved streets as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) presses for long-delayed local government elections. On Thursday, the ECP summoned Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to address the ongoing delays.
Delayed Elections and ECP Action
The last local government in Islamabad’s term expired in February 2021, and elections have been postponed repeatedly since then. A five-member ECP bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, addressed the delays in both Islamabad and Punjab.
The ECP had requested the interior ministry to provide details regarding town corporation demarcation, the number of union councils, maps of town corporations, and necessary ordinance amendments. However, the ECP received no response. The Islamabad chief commissioner stated that the secretary of the interior ministry was in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the time of the request, and the additional secretary appeared before the ECP instead.
The ECP directed that a contempt notice be served to the interior ministry secretary for failing to respond and ordered Minister Naqvi to appear at the next hearing. The Islamabad chief commissioner committed to providing maps of the town corporation within one week. The ECP has set a deadline of March 12 to resolve the matter.
Similar concerns were raised regarding delays in Punjab. The Punjab chief secretary and secretary local government appeared before the ECP and informed the commission that local government delimitation rules and a demarcation order had been provided. Maps and additional data are expected to be submitted by March 12, followed by a notification regarding further election rules.
The ECP directed the immediate issuance of a delimitation schedule upon receipt of the maps. Should the maps not be provided, the ECP stated it would begin summoning deputy commissioners division-wise, starting March 13, to secure the necessary information. The hearing was adjourned until March 10.
Previous election schedules for both regions have been disrupted. Elections originally scheduled for February 15 were cancelled after the government introduced amendments to the Local Government Act, despite the submission of thousands of nomination papers.
The Pattan-Coalition 38, a network of civil society organizations, released a report last month asserting that the repeated postponements of local government elections in Islamabad represent a threat to grassroots democracy and suggest the ECP is being unduly influenced by the executive branch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted the ECP to summon the Interior Minister?
The ECP summoned Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi due to the ongoing delay in holding local government elections in Islamabad and the lack of response from the interior ministry to requests for crucial information.
What information is the ECP requesting from the interior ministry?
The ECP requested the demarcation of town corporations, the number of union councils, maps of town corporations, and necessary amendments to the ordinance.
What is the deadline set by the ECP for providing the requested information?
The ECP has set a deadline of March 12 for the provision of maps of the town corporation.
As the ECP continues to push for the resolution of these delays, will local residents of Islamabad and Punjab finally have a voice in their local governance?
