The Election Commission of Pakistan has officially announced the decision to conduct local government elections in Islamabad and released the reserved verdict, declaring the recent amendment to the Islamabad Local Government Act 2015 as contradictory to the Constitution and the law. In its decision, the Election Commission directed the relevant wing to prepare the schedule for local elections in the federal capital.
The decision further stated that elections on reserved seats, including those for women and other categories, cannot be conducted by the Secretary of Local Government, as this authority lies solely with the Election Commission. According to the ruling, the appointment of DROs, ROs, and other election personnel is the exclusive authority of the Election Commission, which may assign officers from within the Commission, the judiciary, or the administration.
The decision also concluded that the Secretary of Local Government does not fall under the definition of a public officer and therefore cannot be assigned responsibilities within the electoral process.
