Local government elections in Islamabad remain on hold, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set a formal hearing for October 21, 2026, to decide whether the polls can go ahead under an older law. The commission made the decision at a meeting on Wednesday, after a 2026 amendment ordinance, a temporary law that lapses unless it is enacted, expired without the required legislation following it. Islamabad local elections have been delayed for more than five years, and the outcome of this hearing will set the next step.
The ordinance lapse and the ECP's next steps
Local government in the capital has been without fresh elections since its tenure expired in 2021. The law required new polls within 120 days of that expiry, but several announced schedules did not lead to a vote. According to the ECP, its delimitation process, which means redrawing electoral boundaries, began in Islamabad on July 21, 2026, and was completed, with final lists published on Tuesday.
The ECP said it had sent feedback on the Islamabad Local Government Rules to the Interior Ministry on July 20, 2026. A standing committee approved the relevant legislation on September 3, 2026, but the ordinance expired on September 6 before the law could be enacted. The Ministry of Law and Justice then returned the draft rules to the Interior Ministry, saying there was no authority to frame rules under an expired ordinance.
This leaves the ECP with a legal question. It will consider whether elections can be held under the ICT Local Government Act, 2015, the older law that governs local bodies in the Islamabad Capital Territory. To help with the hearing, the commission will send notices to the interior secretary and the Islamabad chief commissioner.
Proposed government for the capital
A separate track is also under way. A high-level committee headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has recommended devolving more powers from the federation to Islamabad, treating it as a federating unit with a provincial-style government. Under the proposal, the Islamabad Assembly would have 27 members, including 21 directly elected representatives: seven from each of the three National Assembly constituencies, five women on reserved seats, and one minority member.
All departments would function under the proposed assembly, except law and order and master planning, which would stay with the federal government. The assembly would elect a leader, called either the chief minister or mayor, who would act as chief executive, and a chief secretary would replace the chief commissioner. This is a recommendation only, and the sources do not say when such an assembly would be formed.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 2021: The tenure of Islamabad's local government expired, and the law required fresh elections within 120 days.
- July 20, 2026: The ECP sent its feedback on the Islamabad Local Government Rules to the Interior Ministry.
- July 21, 2026: The ECP began delimitation in Islamabad under the Federal Capital Islamabad (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.
- September 3, 2026: A standing committee approved the relevant legislation.
- September 6, 2026: The ordinance expired before the legislation was enacted.
- Tuesday, before the ECP's meeting: Final delimitation lists were published.
- October 21, 2026: The ECP's regular hearing is scheduled.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Islamabad mein maqami hukumat ke elections paanch saal se zyada der se ruke hue hain. Election Commission ne 21 October 2026 ko sunwai rakhi hai, jis mein faisla hoga ke polls purane 2015 ke qanoon ke tehat ho sakte hain ya nahi. Abhi tak polling ki koi nayi tareekh nahi di gayi hai. Aam shehri ke liye iska matlab hai ke local government dobara bananay ka amal abhi tay nahi hua, aur is mein kuch waqt lag sakta hai.
