Federal cabinet approves postponement of local body polls in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Friday approved the postponement of local government elections in Islamabad, sources said.

During the meeting, the cabinet ratified the decisions taken on December 3 and December 30, 2025, by the cabinet committee on legislation. The decision comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan had earlier announced that local body elections in the federal capital would be held on February 15.

According to the previously announced election schedule, scrutiny of nomination papers was to take place from December 30, 2025, to January 3, 2026. Appeals against scrutiny were to be filed from January 5 to 8, while election tribunals were scheduled to hear and decide these appeals between January 9 and 13.

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Candidates were allowed to withdraw their nomination papers until January 15, with the final list of candidates and allotment of election symbols scheduled for January 16. The compilation of election results was planned from February 16 to 19.

Sources said the federal cabinet also deliberated on new legislation related to local government elections in Islamabad, with the chief commissioner Islamabad briefing the meeting on the proposed framework.

The cabinet, the sources added, approved the legislation for holding local government elections in the federal capital on the same lines as those conducted in Punjab.