ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Senate on Thursday passed the Islamabad local government elections bill, paving the way for the holding of first ever polls in the federal capital.
The Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan tabled the “Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill 2015” in the Upper House which was aimed at rationalizing and reorganizing the local government system in the federal capital.
In the bill, the Senators recommended that local bodies elections in Islamabad be held on part bases.
The bill had already been passed by the National Assembly for conduct of local government elections in Islamabad.
It comes a day after the Supreme Court rejected the schedule of local government elections in Islamabad due to absence of relevant law and directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue a new schedule for the polls.
Earlier, the local bodies elections in the federal capital were scheduled to be held on July 25.
Meanwhile, according to sources in the ECP, the commission may delay issuing the new schedule for Islamabad local government elections till legislation in this regard is completed. They said that whenever the law related to local bodies polls in Islamabad is approved, it will require further 40 days to issue a new schedule.
The sources said that if polls are held on party bases, then each union council will be divided into six wards while each ward will contain one general seat.
The ECP sources further said that candidates will have to re-submit their nominations papers after the issuance of new schedule.
