Islamabad, January 16, 2026: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday withdrew the schedule for local government elections in Islamabad after the federal government promulgated an ordinance altering the structure and mode of local governance in the capital.
President Asif Ali Zardari approved the ordinance on Monday, introducing multiple amendments to the Local Government Act 2015. The changes include replacing the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) with three town corporations, granting expanded powers to the government-appointed administrator, and removing the six-month limit on the administrator’s tenure. The administrator is also now empowered to levy taxes, fees, tolls, and surcharges.
In a statement, the ECP said the earlier election schedule was being withdrawn since “the structure of Local Governments and mode of Local Government Elections in Islamabad Capital Territory have been changed” following the ordinance. Thousands of candidates from all 125 Union Councils of the federal capital had already submitted nomination papers.
The ordinance has drawn criticism from political parties, civil society, and residents. PTI, human rights activists, and civil society organisations rejected the amendments, terming them undemocratic. Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Wednesday urged that elections be held as per the original schedule, stating: “The elections should be held on time and on the basis of nominations that have been done, while the ordinance needs to be abolished and undemocratic practices need to end.”
The move has heightened political tensions in the federal capital, with debate intensifying over the balance between administrative control and democratic representation in Islamabad’s local governance.
