ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has suspended the schedule of local body elections in the federal capital, Islamabad, as per private tv channel report.
The scheduled notification has been suspended until further notice following the amendment of the Local Government Act, as per the Election Commission.
It should be noted that the Election Commission had announced plans to hold local body elections in Islamabad on October 9.
The 5-year term of the local government in Islamabad was completed in February 2021, and according to the law, elections were to be held within three months. On August 27, the Islamabad Municipal Elections Amendment Bill 2024 was passed by a majority vote in the National Assembly.
The Islamabad Local Government Elections Amendment Act 2024 was presented by Federal Law Minister Nazir Tarar in the National Assembly session. He said that this bill is being brought to provide services at the grassroots level and to ensure greater representation.
Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar had said that the sooner this bill is passed, the better it will be to hold local body elections in Islamabad. Under the bill, the National Assembly also approved the Islamabad Local Government Act 2024, after which the number of elected representatives at the Union Council level increased.
According to the bill approved by the National Assembly, each union council will consist of 15 members. The union council will include a chairman, vice chairman, nine general members, and representatives for women, youth, minorities, and technocrats or labor members.
Under the bill, the election of the chairman and vice chairman will not be direct. Nine general members will be directly elected in each union, while voters will elect general members at the union council level.
According to the bill, nine elected general members at each union council level will elect women, minority, youth, and technocrat or labor seat members through secret ballot, while the elected general members of the union council and members of specific seats will choose the chairman and vice chairman.
