Islamabad High Court Suspends Local Government Elections

The Islamabad High Court suspended the schedule for local government elections in Pakistan's federal capital, halting polls previously set for December 20. Justice Umair Majeed Malik issued the stay order after a petition by citizen Amjad Ali argued that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to conduct fresh delimitation. The petitioner contends that the current delimitations, based on a lapsed 2026 ordinance featuring 130 union councils, are legally incompatible with the revived 2015 Act, which requires 125 union councils.

This judicial intervention extends a years-long gap in elected local representation; the last elections occurred in 2015, and the subsequent administration ended its tenure in February 2021. Previous attempts to restore local governance have been disrupted by legislative amendments and a January 2026 recall of a previous program due to a federal ordinance changing the local government structure.

Adding to the turmoil, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja accused the federal government of attempting to sabotage the polls by ordering that teachers not be assigned to election duties. The court is also reviewing a separate petition challenging the ECP's demand for candidates to pay a second nomination fee of Rs2,000. The ECP and other respondents must submit their written positions to the court by November 26.