The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially announced the schedule for the long-awaited local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). This marks the fourth time the ECP has released a schedule for these polls. The elections are now slated to be held on February 15, 2026.

Since when have LG elections been due in ICT?

Local government elections in ICT have been overdue for more than four years. The previous local governments, elected in 2015, completed their four-year term on February 21, 2021.

Read FAFEN story on how Local Government system has evolved in ICT since 1970

When were previous elections announced?

The ECP first issued a schedule for LG elections in Islamabad on June 22, 2022, followed by a second on October 20, 2022, and a third on August 8, 2024.

Since 2021, the Commission has carried out delimitation of union councils five times. These repeated exercises were required due to continuous legislative and administrative changes. The number of union councils has been revised upward three times since the expiry of the previous local governments.

Why was ECP unable to hold LG elections?

Despite issuing multiple schedules, the elections could not be held due to court injunctions and legislative amendments. This prolonged delay is in clear conflict with Section 219(4) of the Election Act, 2017, which requires the ECP to conduct fresh local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of the outgoing local governments’ term.

Read FAFEN story on the reasons behind delay in ICT LG elections