The Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Islamabad, Nasrullah Randhawa, has said that they reject the proposal of a Federal Council instead of local government institutions in Islamabad. He demanded that Islamabad be granted an empowered local government system. The gimmick of a Federal Council is an attempt to deprive the people of the federal capital of their constitutional and democratic right. Article 140-A of the Constitution of Pakistan clearly guarantees an empowered and elected local government system, but imposing an unelected structure under the name of a Federal Council is a blatant violation of this constitutional requirement.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference at the Jamaat-e-Islami office. On this occasion, Secretary General Zubair Safdar, Director of Media Cell Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Salman Sheikh, President of the Political Committee Huma Ayyub, and other leaders were also present.
Nasrullah Randhawa said that the citizens of Islamabad will not accept any so-called or cosmetic system. The capital needs a strong, autonomous, and empowered local government system in which an elected mayor and public representatives hold real powers. The government should immediately withdraw the proposal for a Federal Council and take practical steps to establish a transparent, empowered, and complete local government system in Islamabad, so that citizens’ problems can be solved through their elected representatives. If any attempt is made to attack public rights, a democratic and constitutional struggle will be launched against it.
The Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Islamabad said that the Election Commission, already under public pressure, has announced local government elections in Islamabad for February 15, 2026, but the government is busy trying to escape this electoral process for the third time. Jamaat-e-Islami Islamabad will field its councilors in all 1,125 wards and will enter the electoral arena with full force. He said that local government institutions are the constitutional right of the people, and they will not allow anyone to deprive the people of their constitutional and democratic right. Any such attempt will not only be fully resisted, but the public will also be united for this purpose. He will not allow the government to flee from local government elections; the government will have to give the people of Islamabad their right, and local government elections must be held on the scheduled date under all circumstances. They will not allow the local government system in the city of power to be held hostage any longer, and will strongly confront the government on legal and public fronts.
