ISLAMABAD:A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) October 21, 2026 order and election schedule for local government polls in the federal capital.
The petition was filed by Chaudhry Amjad Ali through his counsel, Barrister Adil Aziz Qazi.
The petitioner contended that elections could not be held without first determining the legal status of the existing delimitation of constituencies. He maintained that the legal framework governing Islamabad’s local government constituencies needed to be settled and fresh, transparent delimitation carried out.
The petition stated that the legal term of Islamabad’s local government institutions had expired in February 2021 and, under the Elections Act 2017, holding elections within 120 days of the expiry of their term was a legal requirement.
It requested the court to declare the ECP’s October 21, 2026 order and election schedule illegal and set them aside. It also sought suspension or postponement of the electoral process until a final decision on the matter and fresh delimitation in accordance with the law.
The ECP, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other relevant authorities have been named as respondents.
According to the petition, the ECP had scheduled the submission of nomination papers from November 2 to 6, 2026, while polling for local government elections was set for December 20, 2026.
The petitioner alleged that the commission intended to conduct the elections on the basis of outdated delimitations.
The petition traced the delimitation process, stating that the ECP had issued a delimitation schedule on December 12, 2024. On December 26, 2025, it announced a fresh election programme, setting February 15, 2026, as the polling date. However, the programme was subsequently withdrawn following changes in the legal framework.
The petition stated that final lists issued through Form 09 on October 14, 2026, showed 130 union councils under three town corporations, whereas the Islamabad Local Government Act 2015 provided for 125 union councils and 1,125 general wards.
The petitioner sought judicial determination of the legal and institutional framework governing delimitation in Islamabad before the local government elections could proceed.