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The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to delay the elections for the local government (LG) in Islamabad.
The PML-N pleaded with the court in its appeal to the IHC to postpone the LG elections in the federal capital under the guise of an increase in the number of union councils.
The party has requested that the court grant its request for an early hearing.
Ten days prior to the scheduled election day for local government elections, the federal government doubled the number of union councils (UCs) in Islamabad on Tuesday, surprising both candidates and the Pakistani Election Commission (ECP).
The rise in the number of UCs in the federal capital area was announced by the federal government after the federal cabinet authorized the change in the number of union councils.
According to the announcement, the delineation of Union Councils under the Local Bodies Act shall be based on Islamabad’s population estimates, increasing the number of union councils from 101 to 125.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that the polls will take place on December 31 as scheduled.
The Election Commission, acting in accordance with its authority granted by Articles 140-A (2), 218, (3), 219(d), and 222 of the Constitution, as well as Section 219 of the Elections Act, 2017, and all other enabling laws, hereby decides to proceed with the election process despite the federal government‘s notification dated December 19, 2022, because the notification is in violation of Section 4(4) of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 20.
