The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that local government elections in Punjab will be held in the last week of December this year. The decision was finalized after a four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja reserved its verdict on the case regarding the delay in local polls.
According to the ECP’s ruling, the elections will be conducted under the Local Government Act 2022, and the commission has directed that delimitation of constituencies be completed within two months. Relevant authorities have been instructed to begin the process immediately.
During the hearing, ECP Secretary Umar Hameed and senior officials briefed the commission, stating that local government elections had successfully been conducted in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and cantonment boards despite numerous challenges. However, they noted that provincial governments, especially the Punjab government, repeatedly caused delays and obstructions — despite the fact that holding local elections is a constitutional obligation.
Officials informed the bench that the tenure of Punjab’s local bodies expired on December 31, 2021, and even after three years and nine months, elections have not been held. During this period, the Punjab government amended its local government laws five times and is currently working on a sixth amendment. The ECP carried out three rounds of delimitations and even issued an election schedule once, yet the polls could not take place.
The Director General (Law) clarified that the Local Government Act 2022 remains valid, and even if electronic voting machines (EVMs) are unavailable, the elections can be conducted using traditional ballot papers. He stressed that there are no legal obstacles to holding the elections under the existing framework.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja remarked that the prolonged delay in Punjab’s local polls is deeply concerning, calling it “embarrassing” for both the commission and successive governments. He stated that various administrations have shown a lack of seriousness in conducting these elections, adding that it is now time for the ECP to exercise its constitutional authority and make a firm decision.
He further said that if any government truly believes local bodies are unnecessary, it should amend the Constitution to abolish them. “But as long as the law exists,” he said, “the Election Commission is bound to enforce it.”
Representatives of the Punjab government argued that the standing committee cleared the new local government bill on August 6, but floods and the absence of assembly sessions caused delays in its approval. The government assured that the bill will be presented in the next session.
The Chief Election Commissioner also criticized recent statements by some federal ministers, saying they were misleading the public by blaming the ECP for the delay, whereas the real responsibility lies with the provincial governments. He emphasized that it was time for the commission to make its own independent decision and formally announce the election schedule.
Following the completion of the hearing, the ECP reserved its decision, which has now been announced. The process of delimitation in Punjab will begin immediately in preparation for the upcoming polls.
It is worth noting that the Lahore High Court will hear a petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami on October 14 regarding the local government elections, for which the ECP is required to submit its response.
