ECP summons KP, Islamabad officials on July 1 over delay in local govt polls data

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has mandated that officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad must submit pending maps and data for local government elections by July 1. This deadline comes as the terms for local governments in KP ended in March and in Islamabad in February 2021, with elections repeatedly postponed.

The delay has left approximately 2.5 million residents of Islamabad without representation, facing issues such as water shortages and unpaved streets. The ECP, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, expressed concern over KP's failure to provide required data for 15 districts despite numerous requests. The commission has invoked Article 220 of the Constitution, compelling provincial authorities to assist the ECP, and issued notices for personal appearance to the KP chief secretary and local government secretary.

Similarly, the ECP has fixed a hearing for Islamabad's case on July 1, issuing notices to the chief commissioner and deputy commissioner. The commission noted that while the delimitation of town corporations and the number of union councils in Islamabad had been sent to the federal cabinet for approval, neither notifications nor maps have been provided. For Punjab, the ECP has directed its office to finalize preparations for announcing the election schedule once the delimitation exercise is complete.

This situation follows a pattern of repeated delays. Previous election schedules have been cancelled, and governments, including the PTI and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), have been criticized for not facilitating timely polls. Issues such as increasing the number of union councils have also contributed to the postponements.

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