Islamabad: The upcoming local government elections in Islamabad are casting a spotlight on the unequal distribution of population across the city’s 125 union councils (UCs), raising concerns about fair representation. Despite principles of electoral delimitation that require equal populations to ensure each vote carries comparable weight, significant disparities exist, according to the latest data.
The principle of population parity in delimitation mandates that constituencies have broadly similar populations to maintain the equality of vote. Both the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015, and the Elections Act, 2017, emphasize the importance of maintaining population equality within a ten percent variation.
However, recent data from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reveals that many of Islamabad’s union councils do not meet this benchmark. The preliminary constituency data indicates that 39 UCs fall below the lower population limit, while 40 exceed the upper limit, meaning about 63 percent of UCs are outside the recommended range.
Union Council No. 60 emerges as the most populous, with an estimated 28,042 residents, covering areas in Tarlai and several surrounding towns. In contrast, Union Council No. 124 is the least populous, with approximately 12,757 residents, including areas like E-8/2 Kalanjar and the PAF Golf Course.
This disparity in population size impacts representation, as both the largest and smallest UCs will elect the same number of local government representatives. Consequently, residents in larger UCs have less representation per person, undermining the principle of equal voting power.
While population size is crucial for delimitation, it does not always directly translate into voting strength. Many residents are temporary migrants who may be registered to vote elsewhere. Despite the lack of specific voter registration data by UC or ward, population remains a central factor in evaluating representational equity in local governance.