The cancellation of the cause list in the case against postponing local government elections has disappointed the public.
Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Islamabad, Nasrullah Randhawa, has said that Islamabad has been made a slave to the bureaucracy. Today, the federal government and the Election Commission were supposed to submit their responses in the case against postponing the local government elections, but the cause list was canceled due to the judge being on leave. This case was of an urgent nature, and the public had high expectations from today’s hearing, but they were disappointed.
He expressed these views during a press conference. Nasrullah Randhawa said that the root of all of Islamabad’s problems is the non-holding of local government elections. Islamabad has been deprived of its democratic right for a long time. Local government elections have not been held in Islamabad for five years. The schedule for local government elections has been issued four times and then postponed. The elections were scheduled to be held on February 15, 2026, according to the schedule, but a new Presidential Ordinance was issued in January. Under the new ordinance, Islamabad has been divided into four towns, and the administrator has been given all the powers of the mayor. The local government elections have been made non-partisan.
Nasrullah Randhawa said that the purpose of non-partisan elections is to create a market for elected representatives. The ordinance came on January 12, and the National Assembly session was held two days later. We challenged the ordinance in the Islamabad High Court on January 16. On January 16 itself, the Election Commission postponed the local government elections in Islamabad. On January 17, we also challenged the Election Commission’s notification. Today, the federation and the Election Commission were to submit their replies. When we went to court today, the cause list had been canceled because the judge was on leave. We believe this case was of an urgent nature. The public had high expectations from today’s hearing, and the public was disappointed.
Nasrullah Randhawa said that under the Constitution of Pakistan, holding local government elections is the government’s responsibility. Not holding elections is a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan and the Supreme Court’s decision. The non-holding of elections is also a violation of the Islamabad High Court’s decision. The people of Islamabad are being deprived of their basic democratic right. Once an election schedule is issued, no new ordinance can come in its way. A new amendment or ordinance does not apply to a scheduled election. The Election Commission has become a facilitator for the government of Pakistan.
Nasrullah Randhawa said that Islamabad is currently mired in countless problems. Elected representatives are accountable to the public, whereas bureaucrats are part of the officialdom. The taxes collected from Islamabad rightfully belong to its people. Islamabad has been made a slave to the bureaucracy. They want to keep powers with themselves. When the government senses defeat, it postpones the election. We demand that the Election Commission hold elections in Islamabad on February 15. The Islamabad High Court should also order the Election Commission to hold elections according to the fixed schedule. We are in contact with all political parties regarding the February 15 elections.
