ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Islamabad emir Engineer Nasrullah Randhawa has warned that any attempt to postpone the local government elections in the federal capital would not be tolerated, demanding that the polls be held on December 20 as scheduled.
Addressing a press conference at the JI office in Melody on November 12, 2026, Randhawa said the present government had treated Islamabad and its residents as its personal estate. He said Islamabad belonged to all its citizens, who had a constitutional and democratic right to elect their local representatives.
He said the last local government elections in Islamabad were held in 2015 and, under constitutional requirements and democratic norms, fresh polls should have been conducted in 2021. However, he added, the elections had already been postponed five times after being announced, and the government was now allegedly planning to delay them for a sixth time.
Randhawa said Islamabad was the federal capital of Pakistan and its residents paid taxes, yet they continued to face deprivation in basic facilities such as water, health and education. He said citizens had the right to have their local issues resolved through elected representatives.
He also pointed out that after the announcement of local government elections, thousands of people submitted nomination papers and paid heavy fees, but each postponement left candidates facing financial loss, as crores of rupees were not returned. He said more than 3,500 candidates had submitted nomination papers this time as well, and the government must answer for the injustice being done to them.
The JI Islamabad chief said the party had also approached the court and clearly stated its position that the citizens of Islamabad should not be deprived of their basic democratic rights. He demanded that the local government elections be conducted on December 20 and that all necessary measures be taken to ensure they are held in a free and transparent manner.
Randhawa cautioned the government against any conspiracy to delay the polls, saying that if another attempt was made to postpone the elections, the people would come out on the streets. He said Jamaat-e-Islami stood with the citizens of Islamabad and would not remain silent over the denial of their fundamental rights.
JI leaders Tasawwar Kazmi, Huma Ayub, Amir Baloch and Rab Nawaz Malik were also present on the occasion.
