ECP assures IHC of holding LG polls in federal capital within 120 days.

ISLAMABAD -- The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) assured on Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) of holding local government elections in the federal capital within 120 days, after which the court disposed of the intra-court appeals in the case.

The ECP and the federal government had filed separate intra-court appeals against the ruling of IHC's single bench to conduct LG-polls in Islamabad on December 31, 2022. The IHC bench had ordered the ECP to conduct local government elections on the said date while nullifying the electoral body's decision to defer the polls.

Today, a two-member bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq conducted the hearing of the intra-court appeals.

"The legislation has been done. Are the 125 UCs still there," Justice Farooq asked.

The judge said that the government has kept the authority of further increasing the number of UCs to itself.

"In my opinion, there won't be a need of increasing the UCs for 10 years," he said, adding that the LG elections should be conducted at once.

At this, the ECP officials assured the court of holding the LG-polls in Islamabad within 120 days.

The court then asked the interior secretary if he would give a statement that the government will not...