Despite fear of rigging, the PTI decided on Wednesday to participate in the Islamabad local government elections, which will be held on February 15 across the federal capital.
In line with party policy, workers who have remained loyal to the party and its ideology and have made sacrifices during the last three years will be given priority in nominations.
The decision was made during a meeting chaired by PTI Islamabad Region President Aamir Mughal and attended by Regional Secretary and Chairman of the Local Government Committee Malik Aamir Ali Awan, ticket holder Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, Senator Fauzia Arshad, Senate ticket holder Syed Farzand Shah, ticket holder Ali Bukhari, and other senior office-bearers.
After consultations, it was unanimously decided that PTI’s Islamabad wing would take part in the local government elections. However, participants feared that there could be “rigging,” as happened in the recent National Assembly elections in Haripur.
Participants were also of the view that the government had amended the 2015 Local Government Act and abolished the direct election of chairman and vice chairman to “facilitate rigging and horse-trading”, thereby undermining the public mandate. However, they said that the party would contest the local government elections with full strength and aims to achieve a clean sweep across the district.
It was decided that under the leadership of Aamir, a local government committee comprising district presidents, general secretaries, heads of all wings, ticket holders, and senior members would be formed at the earliest. Moreover, an election manifesto would be prepared, and a campaign team would be formed.
It was also decided that a legal team would be established under the committee to oversee election campaigns, the scrutiny and submission of nomination papers, and to handle all other legal matters.
It was decided that Regional President Mughal, in consultation with the leaders of all three constituencies and senior members, would form a parliamentary board to monitor ticket awarding.
Talking to Dawn, Mughal said, despite weak, flawed and “rigging-promoting amendments”, under which the local government elections are being conducted, the PTI will sweep the elections just as it did during the 2024 general elections.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced the schedule for local government elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory. The term of the local government expired in February 2021, but elections could not be held and were further delayed due to new legislation.
In a notification also posted to social media, the ECP called on voters in the ICT to elect their representatives to the general seats of union councils. It set Dec 19 as the date for public notice inviting nomination papers to be issued by the returning officers (ROs), while Dec 22-27 (excluding Quaid-i-Azam Day on Dec 25) as the dates for filing of nomination papers with the ROs by the candidates.
The names of the nominated candidates will be published on Dec 29, and the nomination papers will be scrutinised by the ROs from Dec 30 to Jan 3, 2026. From Jan 5-8, appeals may be filed against the decisions of the ROs to accept or reject the nominations. These appeals will be decided by the Appellate Authority from Jan 9-13, and the revised candidate list will be published on the 14.
Jan 15 marks the final day of withdrawal of candidature, the day after which election symbols will be allotted and the list of contesting candidates published. The polling day will take place after 29 days on Sunday, Feb 15, with the results being consolidated between the 16 and 19 of the month. The ECP, in its notification, added that polling hours will be observed from 8am to 4pm and that all polling activities would take place during office hours.
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