In Islamabad, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) stated that theprovinces are hesitant to carry out general elections. The ElectionCommission of Pakistan (ECP) released an official statement followingseparate meetings with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Pakistan MuslimLeague Quaid (PML-Q). During the interaction, the TLP representativeinformed the ECP that the government expanded the number of Union Councils(UCs) from 50 to 125 in the Islamabad Local Government (LG) polls to avoidconducting them.
Additionally, the TLP requested the ECP to organize elections within 90days. If the delimitation process can’t be completed in that time frame,the TLP suggested increasing the number of staff. The CEC emphasized thatthe ECP is obligated to hold LG polls following provincial LG laws. He alsomentioned that the ECP will oversee the financing and expenditures ofelection campaigns.
The consultative committee of the PML-Q supported the ECP’s choice toconduct general elections based on the 2023 census. The ECP indicated thatthe election timetable will be disclosed shortly after the delimitationprocess concludes, and the upcoming elections will adhere to theconstitution.
