ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to issue a clear stance on the number of union councils for the local body polls in the federal capital and submit its reply by June 22.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard a case filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party against the schedule of local body polls in Islamabad Capital Territory that will be held on July 31.

The federal capital has 50 UCs, but their number was raised to 101 after the delimitation held in January.

The number of union councils in the federal capital was increased after the high court had quashed an ordinance related to the local government polls, the ECP’s lawyer told the court.

He said the commission was holding the polls on a notification in which 50 UCs were mentioned.

At this Justice Minallah remarked that those UCs did not exist and how the commission could hold the polls on that notification.

The commission urged that it should be allotted time to satisfy the court on the matter as the last date for the submission of nomination papers had been extended.

The court, then, adjourned hearing of the case till June 22 (Wednesday).

As per revised schedule of the local body polls issued by the ECP, a public notice inviting candidates to submit nomination papers was issued with a deadline from June 13 to 20.

The ECP will issue names of the successful candidates on June 21 while the last date for scrutiny of nomination papers will be from June 22 to 24.

The candidates can file appeals against acceptance or rejection of the papers from June 25 to 28 while the Appellant Authority will decide on appeals on July 2.

The commission will publish a revised list of the final candidates on July 4 and they can withdraw their names on July 5.

The results will be consolidated on August 4.