ISLAMABAD – Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja said on Monday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has the authority to summon the prime minister if local government elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are not conducted.
“Except for Punjab, all provinces have held local body elections,” he added, noting that it would be an embarrassment for Punjab if the ECP had to issue an order on the matter.
Presiding over a five-member bench hearing the case on Punjab’s local government elections, CEC Raja stated, “We will issue an appropriate order. The Commission cannot just sit idly by.”
He added that the ECP can also summon the chief minister if needed.
ECP Secretary Umar Hameed told the bench that neither the Punjab government nor the federal government in Islamabad seems interested in holding the elections. He said that Punjab has delayed its local elections for three years, even though the previous local bodies completed their term on December 31, 2021. He further noted that Punjab has amended its local government laws five times since 2019, and a sixth amendment is currently in progress.
CEC Raja mentioned that he personally appeared before the Supreme Court in the local government case, highlighting the unacceptable nature of Punjab’s repeated delays. “It is not acceptable for the provincial government to keep delaying legislation and avoid holding elections for five years,” he said.
Punjab’s Minister for Local Government informed the Commission that the legislation for the local elections is currently under review by a standing committee and that efforts are being made to complete the process soon. Although the local government bill has been pending in the assembly for over three months—when usually it would take around two months—he said the draft rules are ready and can be shared with the ECP.
Reiterating his stance, CEC Raja emphasized that all provinces except Punjab have conducted their local government elections. “If the ECP has to pass an order, it will be an embarrassment for you,” he warned. “This process must be completed as soon as possible. The Commission cannot sit idle.”
During the hearing, a Commission member asked who could be summoned to provide a firm commitment to holding the elections. CEC Raja replied that while the ECP can summon the chief minister, it can also summon the prime minister if local elections in Islamabad remain unheld.
The Commission then adjourned the hearing of the case.
