Islamabad, November 13,2026: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the schedule for local government elections in the federal capital, issuing a stay order against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification dated October 21.
Justice Umair Majeed Malik announced the reserved verdict on a petition seeking suspension of the election schedule and a halt to the local government elections in Islamabad.
The petition, filed by Amjad Ali, stated that fresh delimitation was carried out in 2024, following which the ECP announced the election schedule. However, a new Local Government Ordinance was introduced in 2026.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that after the ordinance ceased to remain in force, the election schedule was issued without restoring the previous delimitation.
In its order, the court also issued a notice to the ECP, directing it to submit its response by November 26.
The term of the last elected local government in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) expired in February 2021. However, fresh elections have not been held due to various legal and administrative reasons.
Under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP is required to hold fresh local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of the previous local government’s term.
The court’s decision came a day after Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja accused the federal government of attempting to sabotage the upcoming local government elections in Islamabad and insisted that the polls would be held as scheduled.
He made the remarks while heading a three-member ECP bench hearing a case concerning an alleged violation of the code of conduct during the recent NA-77 by-election in Gujranwala.
The chief election commissioner said the federal government had directed that teachers should not be assigned election duties for the Islamabad local government polls.
Questioning the availability of alternative polling staff, he said the ECP issued directions to the prime minister and the government rather than receiving instructions from them.
Taking strict notice of the government’s order, Raja alleged that the federal government was attempting to undermine the electoral process in the capital.
“I make it clear that the local government elections will be held in Islamabad,” he had stated.
