The distribution of Islamabad’s population across its 125 union councils (UCs) varies widely, undermining the equality of representation in the upcoming local government (LG) elections. While delimitation principles require broadly equal populations to ensure equal voting power, available data suggests significant disparities among UCs in the federal capital.
What is the principle of population parity in delimitation?
A core principle of electoral delimitation is equality of vote, which requires constituencies to have broadly similar populations so that each vote carries comparable weight. Section 7(2)(c) of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015 requires that the population of wards within a union council shall, as far as possible, be uniform.
Similarly, Section 20(3) of the Elections Act, 2017 states that variation in the population of constituencies for any assembly or local government should not ordinarily exceed ten percent. Rule 17 of the Election Rules, 2017 further operationalizes this requirement by emphasizing population equality and restricting variation beyond ten percent, while also prohibiting the breaking of census blocks.
How evenly is Islamabad’s population distributed across union councils?
As per 7th population and housing census 2023, Islamabad’s population is over 2.3 million, which was to be divided among 125 union councils under ICTLGA 2015. An even distribution would place approximately 18,910 residents in each UC. Applying a ten percent variation principle liberally, union councils should ideally fall within a population range of about 17,019 to 20,801 residents.
However, preliminary constituency data (Form-8) issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in January 2025 shows that this benchmark is not met in a large number of cases. As many as 39 union councils fall below the lower limit of 17,019 residents, while 40 exceed the upper limit of 20,801. In total, around 63 percent of Islamabad’s union councils lie outside the parity-based population range.
Which is the most populous union council?
Union Council No. 60 is the most populous UC in Islamabad, with an estimated population of around 28,042 residents. It primarily covers areas in Tarlai, including Tarlai Kalan, Zamin Abad, University Town, Mohalla Noorani, Mohalla Sadiq-e-Akbar, Ali Town, Malik Town, Sarfraz Town, Sher Ali Town, Mohalla Rajgan, Sardar Town, Manzoor Town, and Ghulam Hussain Town.
Which is the least populous union council?
At the other end of the spectrum, Union Council No. 124 is the smallest, with a population of approximately 12,757 residents. This UC includes areas such as E-8/2 Kalanjar and Sunyari Sundri, E-9/3 Naval Staff Colony (Blocks C and D), the PAF Golf Course, and E-10 DCI Colony Flats.
Why does this population gap matter?
Despite having more than double the population of UC-124, UC-60 will elect the same number of local government representatives. As a result, residents of larger union councils effectively have less representation per person than those living in smaller ones, diluting voting power and undermining the principle of equal representation.
Does population directly translate into voting strength?
Population size does not always directly correspond to voting strength. In metropolitan cities like Islamabad, many residents are temporary migrants who may remain registered to vote in their hometowns rather than their place of residence.
In the absence of union council- or ward-wise voter registration data, it remains unclear how many registered voters reside in each UC. Nevertheless, population remains a central indicator for delimitation and for assessing representational balance in local governance structures.
