The PTI on Thursday approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with a request for a three-day extension to the submission deadline for nomination papers in local body elections in Islamabad.
According to the application, submitted to the ECP’s Diary Branchand available with Dawn, Baldiat Committee Secretary Anjum Shahzad Tanoli requested that the chief election commissioner 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 read.
It noted that the government announced a local holiday on December 26, stating that it would significantly affect the process of filing nomination papers.
“Islamabad comprises 125 union councils (UCs), and in each union council, at least nine councillors are required to submit their nomination papers,” the application stated.
“The announced holiday will create serious administrative and logistical difficulties for candidates, proposers, and concerned offices, leading to unnecessary congestion and hardship on the final day.”
Based on the delay caused by a public holiday, Tanoli requested that the ECP extend the deadline to file nomination papers by at least three days “in the larger interest of transparency, fairness, and effective participation in the democratic process”.
PTI Regional President Amir Mughal, while talking to Dawn, said that there is insufficient time for the nomination process in the local government elections’ first phase. The poll covers 125 UCs and 1,125 councillors.
He also criticised amendments made to the Local Government Act of 2015, claiming that the law was altered with malicious intent to promote rigging and horse-trading.
Mughal further highlighted that direct elections for the chairman and vice-chairman posts had been abolished, and a new law was introduced to “manipulate councillors’ loyalty after they win, pressuring them to change their loyalties”.
“Despite these challenges, PTI is committed to actively participating in local elections as the people of Islamabad have always supported PTI and rejected the PML-N,” he claimed.
Mughal also emphasised that due to the ECP’s decisionto revoke the PTI’s election symbol, all party workers have been instructed to declare themselves as candidates under the “Sunni Ittehad Council” banner in their nomination papers.
The ECP has already 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 on social media, the ECP invited nomination papers to be issued by returning officers (RO) on December 19, while December 22-27 (excluding Quaid-i-Azam Day on December 25) were set as the dates for filing of nomination papers with the ROs by the candidates.
The names of nominated candidates will be published on December 29, while the nomination papers will be scrutinised by ROs from December 30 to January 3, 2026.
From January 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 January 9-13, and the revised candidate list will be published on January 14.
January 15 is the final day a candidate can withdraw from the elections, the day after which election symbols will be allotted and the list of contesting candidates published.
Polling will take place on February 15, with the results being consolidated between February 16 and 19.
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.