The beleaguered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to contest the local government (LG) elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory, scheduled for December 20. "PTI has roots in the public and remains the most popular party; hence, we shall go for the LG polls with immense confidence and conviction," PTI Regional President Aamir Mughal said.
To a question, he said those who managed the 2024 general elections might not be interested in local government elections, as it is a grassroots-level electoral exercise having nothing to do with government formation. Meanwhile, PTI Islamabad issued a statement saying that over the course of three days, Regional President Aamir Mughal, Shoaib Shaheen, and Malik Aamir held more than 25 consecutive meetings across all three constituencies.
Following a series of meetings with 400 office-bearers, PTI Islamabad decided, with the support of 95% of officials, to contest the local government elections under any circumstances. It said directives had been issued to all district and town organizations to submit nomination papers for every single ward in each union council, effective from November 2 to November 6.
The decision aims to bring forward dedicated workers who have remained at the forefront of the movement. The party alleged that previously, the incumbent government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) - acting in collusion - evaded the elections four times, even after the schedule had been announced.
Under the current Act, it was noted, local government representatives do not even have the mandate to oversee the cleanliness of streets and neighborhoods; real authority remains firmly in the hands of a corrupt bureaucracy. The party insisted that the decision to abolish direct elections for the positions of chairman and vice-chairman was, in reality, a precursor to electoral rigging and stemmed from the fear of defeat.
They maintained that the party would challenge these administrative hurdles through the ballot box. Meanwhile, the ECP on Wednesday issued an order for holding LG polls immediately in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) districts where delimitation had been completed, excluding those in the 12 districts covered by special emergency measures.
An ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising members Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana, and Ikramullah Khan, heard the case. In a two-page order, the ECP directed its office to submit the election programme for its approval in respect of districts where the delimitation process had been completed, excluding Bannu, Mohmand, Orakzai, Lakki Marwat, and North Waziristan, as specified in the federal government's order of October 11.
The commission issued orders for KP districts, excluding 12 which were claimed to face intense security challenges, and a council was constituted to oversee these areas under emergency measures. Moreover, the ECP sought the issuance of delimitation schedules for the remaining districts, excluding Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Lower South Waziristan, and Upper South Waziristan.
Political analysts suggest that the PTI's decision to participate in the Islamabad polls is a strategic move to maintain its political relevance in the capital. By mobilizing its grassroots workers, the party aims to counter the narrative that it is being sidelined from the electoral process.
As the December 20 deadline approaches, all eyes remain on the ECP to ensure a transparent process. The PTI leadership has vowed to monitor the nomination process closely to prevent any administrative interference that might hinder their candidates from filing papers.