ISLAMABAD(National times)- The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that local government elections in Islamabad must be held immediately, declaring that assigning the responsibility to conduct the polls to the Union Council Secretary is unconstitutional and contrary to the law. According to the ECP, the term of Islamabad’s local governments ended on February 14, 2021, and under Articles 140-A, 219, and 120 of the Constitution, the federal government is obligated to hold elections within 120 days. Despite multiple attempts, the elections were repeatedly delayed. The ECP carried out delimitation five times and announced the schedule three times, while also corresponding with relevant authorities, but the elections could not take place. The Commission conducted a formal hearing on November 13, 2025, and issued its decision on November 17, directing that an election schedule be announced immediately. The ECP emphasized that recent amendments to Section 15(2) of the Local Government Act 2015 make it unconstitutional to assign election duties to the Union Council Secretary. Under the Elections Act 2017 and Local Government Act 2015, the ECP has the authority to appoint District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs), and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs). Only officers notified by the ECP will conduct the polls, and the Secretary of the Union Council cannot be designated as a presiding officer.