The federal cabinet’s decision to postpone local government elections in Islamabad has cast uncertainty over the fate of thousands of candidates who have already entered the electoral race by filing their nomination papers.
According to Election Commission sources, around 4,200 candidates filed nomination papers for 1,125 general seats across 125 Union Councils (UCs) in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The nomination process concluded on December 30, 2025. It was originally scheduled to end on December 27, but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) later revised the election schedule and extended the filing period by two days. Under the revised schedule, the list of nominated candidates was to be published on December 31, 2025.
Read FAFEN’s coverage about federal cabinet decision to postpone LG polls
How much candidature fee has been collected?
Under Schedule-II of the ICT Local Government Rules, 2015, each general-seat candidate is required to deposit a candidature fee of PKR 2,000 along with their nomination papers. Based on the number of candidates who filed nominations, the ECP would have collected approximately PKR 8.4 million in candidature fees.
It remains unclear whether this amount would be refunded if the ECP decides to suspend or terminate the election process following the federal cabinet’s decision.
What lies ahead for the election process?
Scrutiny of nomination papers commenced on January 1, 2026, and was scheduled to continue until January 6, 2026. However, the continuation of the scrutiny process now depends on the ECP’s response to the Cabinet’s decision to postpone the polls.
Read about the nomination process followed for ICT LG polls
During scrutiny, Returning Officers (ROs) examine the completeness and accuracy of information provided in the nomination papers. Registered voters of the concerned Union Council may also raise objections to a candidate’s nomination. ROs may conduct a summary inquiry either on objections filed by voters or on their own motion.
Nomination papers may be rejected if a candidate does not meet the qualifications prescribed under the ICT Local Government Act, 2015 (ICTLGA). Papers may also be rejected if the proposer or seconder is not a registered voter of the concerned Union Council or if their signatures are found to be not genuine.
What are the qualifications and disqualifications for Local Government candidates?
The qualifications and disqualifications for Local Government members are defined under Sections 25 and 26 of the ICTLGA, 2015.
Under Section 25 of the Act, a person is qualified to be elected as a Local Government member if they are a citizen of Pakistan, are above 25 years of age (except in the case of youth candidates), and are enrolled as a voter in the concerned Union Council. For youth seats, candidates must be between 18 and 25 years of age; however, elections on reserved seats are indirect and will be held only after the election of general members.
Section 25 further extends the applicability of paragraphs (d) to (g) of clause (1) of Article 62 of the Constitution to Local Government candidates. These provisions require that a candidate be of good character and not commonly known as a violator of Islamic injunctions, possesses adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings and practices obligatory duties prescribed by Islam, abstain from major sins, be sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest, and ameen, and must not have worked against the integrity of Pakistan or opposed the ideology of Pakistan.
Section 26 of the ICTLGA extends the disqualifications set out in paragraphs (a) to (p) of clause (1) of Article 63 of the Constitution. Under these provisions, a person is disqualified from being elected if (s)he has been declared of unsound mind by a competent court, is an undischarged insolvent, has ceased to be a citizen of Pakistan or acquired foreign citizenship, or holds an office of profit in the service of Pakistan or in the service of any statutory body owned or controlled by the government.
A person is also disqualified if they have been convicted during the last five years for propagating opinions or acting against the ideology, sovereignty, integrity, or security of Pakistan, or for defaming or ridiculing the judiciary or armed forces. Conviction for moral offences involving a sentence of more than two years’ imprisonment within the last five years also results in disqualification.
Further disqualification grounds include dismissal, removal, or compulsory retirement from public service due to misconduct, being a government contractor, having an overdue bank loan of two million rupees or more, or being in default of payment of government dues or utility expenses.
