Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar said on Tuesday that the coalition government was running away from the elections, adding that the PTI wanted a fully empowered local government system in Islamabad.

“The election commission supported the PDM government and it reversed its own decision,” the former federal minister told the reporters in Islamabad after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) delayed the local government elections in Islamabad, saying that it could not be held on December 31 since the government has increased the number of union councils in the capital city.

Addressing the press conference Umar said that his party had already filed an intra-court appeal. “Today a two-member bench heard our appeal, we want an empowered local government system in Islamabad,” Umar added.

Umar said that after the announcement of the election, the union couuncils (UCs) were increased when only a few days were left for the election. “They did not want to go to the election as they [PDM] know they will face defeat,” he added.

He lashed out at the coalition government for passing a law to increase the number of union councils in the federal capital, saying that during the PTI-led government the PDM had challenged the same ordinance in the court.

“Now they are going to court to request the court to increase the number of union councils,” he said, adding that it was nothing but another tactic to run away from the electoral process.