ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed Pakistan's top election body to conduct local polls in the capital tomorrow, December 31 and nullified its earlier notification to postpone the elections.
Earlier this week, the ECP issued a notification saying it had postponed local government elections in Islamabad "for the time being." The commission said it had taken the decision due to an increase in the number of Islamabad's administrative units.
Last week, former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party filed a petition against PM Shehbaz Sharif’s federal government at the IHC. The petition accused the government of attempting to gerrymander the upcoming polls by increasing the number of local administrative units — known as union councils — from 101 to 125 in the capital city.
Another petition against the delay in the local government polls was also filed by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party at the IHC. On Friday, IHC Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahi directed the ECP to conduct the polls on December 31 (Saturday) and nullified its notification to delay them.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan is directed to hold the local government elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory as per the schedule already announced i.e. on 31.12.2022,” the IHC said in its short order, a copy of which is available with Arab News.
According to the order, the court also directed the federal government to provide "all the assistance to the Election Commission of Pakistan for conducting the local bodies’ elections as mandated by the Constitution."
Shortly after the court’s directives, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government was not in a position to hold local government elections in Islamabad.
"We respect the court [Islamabad High Court], but holding the elections is not possible as the arrangements cannot be made in such a short period," Pakistan's Geo News channel quoted the minister as saying on Friday evening.
Sanaullah said around 1,000 polling stations needed security, election material had to be dispatched and polling staff needed to be deployed at stations.
"This isn't possible," he added.
