ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will issue a fresh schedule of Islamabad local government elections after the enactment of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2024.
The much-delayed local government elections in the Federal Capital are set to be held on October 9, 2024.
However, on Thursday President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2024, aiming to revise the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act of 2015.
Sources said that ECP has decided to conduct the local bodies elections in Islamabad as per the new amended act, and it awaits the gazette notification of the Islamabad Local Government Amendment Act 2024.
Under the new act, the number of Union Council (UC) Wards has been increased from six to nine.
Sources said that now it’s mandatory to carry out fresh delimitations of the wards as per the amendment act.
Sources in the ECP said that now a fresh schedule of Islamabad’s local government polls will be issued, suspending the previous one. They also said that the Contesting Candidates will be required to submit fresh nomination papers.
They said that with the enactment of the act, the procedure of the local government elections in the Federal Cabinet has been changed as well.
Under the new act, each Union Council in Islamabad will consist of nine General Wards with voters casting ballots only for Candidates in such Wards.
The amendment also stipulates that Members from nine Wards would be elected including representatives for Women, Youth, Minorities, Labourers, and Farmers.
In the final phase, the 13 UC Members would elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman.
 will issue a fresh schedule of Islamabad local government elections after the enactment of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2024.){kind=link}