The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered that the Islamabad LG polls suspended until further notice, halting the electoral process in the federal capital. Following the court's intervention, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)—the constitutional body responsible for organizing elections—issued a notification on Friday to formally suspend the election schedule.
The stay order was issued by a single bench comprising Justice Umair Majeed Malik. The court was hearing a petition filed by Chaudhry Amjad Ali, who challenged the ECP’s orders and notifications issued on October 21 and November 5 regarding the conduct of local government elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
Legal Challenge to the Election Schedule
The petitioner, represented by Barrister Adil Aziz Qazi, argued that the ECP is constitutionally mandated under Articles 140-A, 218, and 219 to conduct elections fairly and in accordance with the law. The petition named several respondents, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The legal framework for these polls is governed by the Elections Act, 2017, and the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015. The petitioner raised questions regarding the ECP's short order and the subsequent revised schedule, leading the court to reserve and then announce its verdict to halt the process.
ECP Compliance and Suspension
In response to the IHC ruling, the ECP confirmed that the electoral process initiated under the original October schedule and the revised November 5 plan would remain suspended. This effectively puts a stop to all preparations for the polling that was expected to take place on December 20.
The ECP notification clarified that the suspension will remain in effect until the next hearing of the case. No new date has been proposed for the elections, as the future of the local government exercise now depends on the final outcome of the court proceedings.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Islamabad High Court ne shehar mein hone walay baldiyati election rok diye hain. Election Commission ne court ke hukum ke baad 20 December ko hone wali voting ka schedule mualtal kar diya hai. Abhi ye faisla nahi hua ke election kab honge, kyunke mamla abhi adalat mein zair-e-samat hai.
