National Assembly Passes Amendment to Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015

Islamabad 27-08-2024: The National Assembly has passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which introduces significant changes to the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015. The amendment, now in effect, aims to streamline the local government election process and align the existing legislation with the Elections Act, 2017.

Under the new amendment, the Election Commission is tasked with delimiting Union Councils into nine wards for the election of general members. The composition of a Union Council has been redefined to include a Chairman and Vice Chairman, nine general members, one woman, one peasant or worker or businessman or technocrat, one youth member, and one non-Muslim member.

Additionally, all nine general members of each Union Council will be directly elected by registered voters within the respective Union Council. The first meeting of the Union Council, convened by the Secretary, will focus on electing the woman, peasant or worker or businessman or technocrat, youth, and non-Muslim members. Subsequently, the Council will elect the Chairman and Vice Chairman as joint candidates.

A critical aspect of the amendment involves the substitution of outdated references to the "Representation of the People Act, 1976" with the "Elections Act, 2017," reflecting the repeal of the former under the Elections Act, 2017.

The amendment was necessitated after the term of the previous local government expired on February 14, 2021. The Federal Government and the Election Commission are mandated to conduct new elections within 120 days, requiring these updates to ensure a smooth electoral process.

Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi emphasized that these changes are crucial for aligning local government elections with current electoral laws and ensuring effective governance in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

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