- Party submits application to ECP, requesting three-day extension to Dec 27 for nominations submission
- ECP sets polling for Feb 15; scrutiny, appeals, and withdrawals scheduled through Jan 15
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday formally approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and requested a three-day extension in the date for the submission of nomination papers for the upcoming local body elections in Islamabad, citing logistical challenges due to a government-declared holiday.
Baldiat Committee Secretary Anjum Shahzad Tanoli submitted the application with the ECP’s Diary, urging the chief election commissioner to extend the deadline to December 27.
“With due respect, this is to draw your kind attention towards the schedule of local body elections in Islamabad, wherein the last date for submission of nomination papers has been fixed as 27th December,” the application stated. It noted that the government-declared holiday on December 26 would significantly affect the filing process.
The ECP has already announced the schedule for local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory, where the term of the local government expired in February 2021, but elections were delayed due to “new legislation.”
According to the notification, nomination papers will be issued by returning officers (ROs) on December 19, while filing with ROs is scheduled from December 22 to 27, excluding Quaid-i-Azam Day on December 25. Names of nominated candidates will be published on December 29, and scrutiny of nomination papers by ROs will take place from December 30 to January 3, 2026.
Appeals against RO decisions can be filed from January 5 to 8, to be decided by the Appellate Authority from January 9 to 13, with the revised candidate list published on January 14. Candidates can withdraw by January 15, after which election symbols will be allotted and the final list of contesting candidates published.
Polling is scheduled for February 15, with results consolidated between February 16 and 19. The ECP noted that polling hours will be observed from 8am to 4pm, with all election activities conducted during office hours.
The application highlighted that Islamabad comprises 125 union councils (UCs), with at least nine councillors required in each UC to submit their nomination papers. Tanoli warned that the holiday could cause serious administrative and logistical difficulties, leading to congestion and unnecessary hardship for candidates, proposers, and election offices.
He requested that the deadline for filing nomination papers be extended by at least three days, emphasizing that the move would serve the larger interest of transparency, fairness, and effective participation in the democratic process.
Meanwhile, PTI Regional President Amir Mughal said the timeframe for the nomination process in the first phase of local government elections was insufficient, given that the poll covers 125 UCs and 1,125 councillors.
Mughal also criticised recent amendments to the Local Government Act of 2015, alleging that the changes were made with “malicious intent” to facilitate **rigging and horse-trading.” He added that direct elections for chairman and vice-chairman posts had been abolished, introducing a system that could manipulate councillors’ loyalty after election victories.
“Despite these challenges, PTI is committed to actively participating in local elections, as the people of Islamabad have historically supported PTI and rejected the PML-N,” he claimed.
Due to the ECP’s decision to revoke PTI’s election symbol, Mughal said party workers had been instructed to declare themselves as candidates under the ‘Sunni Ittehad Council’ banner in their nomination papers.
