Chief Election Commissioner warns of contempt notices, daily hearings as delimitation delays stall local elections
Election Commission of Pakistan building in Islamabad. Photo: Radio Pakistan
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday summoned Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi over delays in holding local government elections in Islamabad, while issuing a contempt notice to the interior secretary for failing to appear before the commission.
A five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case. Islamabad Chief Commissioner Ali Randhawa appeared before the commission, but the interior secretary did not attend the hearing.
“Where is the interior secretary?” the CEC asked during the proceedings, directing that the interior minister be summoned in person if the secretary continued to remain absent.
“If the secretary is not coming, then we will summon the interior minister in his personal capacity,” Raja said, adding that the minister would have to appear at the next hearing.
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials told the bench that a letter had been sent to the interior ministry, but no response had been received. They also complained that the interior secretary was not cooperating with the commission.
Taking notice of the absence, the CEC ordered the issuance of a contempt notice to the interior secretary.
Officials informed the bench that a demarcation notification, Islamabad’s official map and the number of union council members were required before the delimitation process could begin.
Raja remarked that the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration appeared to be taking the matter lightly.
“These elections are directly the responsibility of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT),” he said, adding that three federal ministers had previously appeared before the commission and assured it that the issue would be resolved.
“Do not force us to take strict action,” the CEC warned, directing authorities to provide a clear timeline. The chief commissioner of Islamabad was asked to present progress on the matter at the next hearing.
The case was adjourned till next Tuesday.
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Punjab LG polls
The commission also heard a separate matter regarding delays in local government elections in Punjab.
Punjab Chief Secretary and the Secretary Local Government appeared before the commission during proceedings.
The ECP’s special secretary informed the bench that the commission had earlier constituted a committee and held several meetings on the issue.
He said the commission already had the Punjab local government law and the delimitation framework, but the provincial government still needed to provide the local government election rules and demarcation maps.
“We need the maps to start the delimitation process,” Raja remarked, asking whether the exercise could begin immediately.
Punjab’s secretary of local government told the commission that deputy commissioners had been directed to provide the required maps within two to three days.
“Within a week, deputy commissioners will provide the maps to district election commissioners,” he said.
ECP officials said the delimitation process would take around two months once the maps were received.
A member of the commission asked whether a new election date would be announced after completion of the two-month exercise.
The CEC granted Punjab a final one-week deadline, directing that all deputy commissioners provide the maps by March 12.
“If the maps are not provided, the commission will hold a formal hearing,” Raja said.
He added that deputy commissioners from each division would be summoned, and the commission would hold daily hearings if the required maps were not submitted.
“If the maps are provided, the process will move forward; otherwise, we will fix another hearing date,” the CEC said.
Background of delays
The ECP has been hearing the matter of delayed local government elections in Islamabad for several months and has repeatedly sought cooperation from the federal government and the Islamabad administration to complete the legal and administrative requirements for the polls.
Under the Islamabad Local Government Act, 2015 — amended in 2024 — the capital’s municipal governance framework outlines the structure of local bodies, including union councils, representation quotas, and administrative powers of elected representatives. However, officials told the commission that further amendments are required in Section 15 of the law to facilitate the electoral process.
During an earlier meeting, the ECP directed the interior ministry and the Islamabad administration to finalise the proposed amendments in consultation with the commission under Section 219(3) of the Elections Act, 2017, which empowers the commission to ensure that elections are organised and conducted in accordance with the law.
The commission had fixed November 13 for a hearing on Islamabad’s local government elections and issued notices to the secretary interior and the chief commissioner Islamabad to deliberate on the proposed legal changes.
Officials informed the commission that it had already written to the interior ministry, urging it to make the necessary amendments to ensure smooth implementation of the law.
According to the ECP, the last correspondence received from the interior ministry on the issue was dated October 23, 2025.
The interior minister was summoned after the interior secretary failed to appear before the commission and amid concerns that the required legislative amendments and administrative steps — including delimitation and issuance of demarcation notifications — had yet to be completed, delaying the electoral process in the federal capital.
Additionally, the issue of delayed local government elections in Punjab has been under scrutiny for months. In December, the provincial government informed the Lahore High Court that the upcoming polls would be held on a party basis under Section 68 of the Punjab Local Government Act, 2025, during hearings on a petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami challenging the law and seeking confirmation that elections would be conducted on party lines.
Justice Sultan Tanveer Ahmed observed that proceedings could not move forward without a response from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and adjourned the hearing.
In January, the ECP took strict notice of the provincial government’s failure to complete legal and administrative requirements for the polls despite earlier assurances.
The commission summoned the Punjab chief secretary and the local government secretary, noting that the provincial authorities had yet to provide delimitation rules and notifications for union councils — key prerequisites for initiating the electoral process.
