Commission accepts Punjab govt’s request to hold polls after January 20, citing weather and administrative needs
Election Commission of Pakistan building in Islamabad. Photo: Radio Pakistan
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday scheduled the first phase of local government elections in Punjab for February 7, 2027, while suspending the electoral process in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) until further orders following the extension of the suspension of Article 140-A of the Constitution across the province.
A four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case concerning local government elections in Punjab. Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq, the chief secretary and the local government secretary appeared before the commission.
During the hearing, the chief election commissioner recalled that a meeting had been held between the Punjab cabinet committee and the ECP. He said the provincial government had previously proposed holding the elections between December 15 and January 15.
The Punjab chief secretary informed the commission that preparations for the local government elections had been completed. However, he requested that the polling date be fixed after January 20, saying the provincial administration required two months for election arrangements.
He explained that Punjab, particularly Lahore, experienced heavy fog during December, making administrative arrangements difficult for election staff. The chief secretary maintained that weather conditions generally improved after January 20.
Read: ECP snubs Punjab govt’s plea to delay LG polls, seeks immediate poll schedules
During the proceedings, an ECP member questioned the provincial government’s earlier preference for holding elections in April. “You were talking about holding elections in April,” the commission member remarked.
The chief secretary responded that the government had reconsidered its position and had no objection to elections being held in January or February.
He said April had initially been considered more suitable because schools were closed for holidays, while winter days were shorter and voter turnout could be affected, adding that April offered longer daylight hours. The chief election commissioner said the commission would consider the request for a date after January 20 before announcing the election schedule.
During an exchange with the chief secretary, the chief election commissioner also remarked, “You are celebrating Basant anyway.”
The commission subsequently reserved its decision on the Punjab government’s request before issuing the short order announcing February 7 as the date for the first phase of local government elections.
Later, in a short order issued by the commission, the Punjab chief secretary informed the ECP that consultations between the provincial government’s committee and the commission had earlier resulted in an understanding to hold the elections between December and January.
The chief secretary requested that the elections preferably be scheduled after January 20, 2027, and conducted in phases, keeping in view weather conditions and administrative convenience.
The commission stated that it was responsible for conducting elections honestly, fairly and in accordance with the law, while ensuring a level playing field.
The ECP accepted the chief secretary’s request in the interest of justice and ordered that the first phase of Punjab’s local government elections be held on February 7, 2027.
The commission also directed its secretariat to take follow-up action.
Read more: ECP proposes Dec 14 for Punjab LG polls
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch welcomed the ECP’s decision to announce the schedule for local government elections in Punjab.
Speaking in Lahore, Baloch said JI had long been engaged in a constitutional, legal, and democratic struggle to ensure that local government elections were held in Punjab. He added that JI would actively participate in local government elections in both Islamabad and Punjab.
In a separate development, the ECP suspended all ongoing preparations for local government elections across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) until further orders, following the federal government’s decision to extend the suspension of Article 140-A of the Constitution to the province’s remaining districts.
According to a press release issued by the ECP on November 5, the decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Raja.
The commission said it had earlier decided to conduct local government elections in K-P, excluding districts where Article 140-A had been suspended following the imposition of governor’s rule and emergency measures.
The ECP stated that several steps had already been initiated to conduct elections in the remaining districts. However, the commission reviewed Order No 3, issued by the federal government on November 4, 2026, during Thursday’s meeting, the statement added.
The statement further added that the commission examined Clause 2 of the order, which extended the suspension of Article 140-A to all remaining districts of K-P, in addition to those previously designated under an earlier order.
The ECP was informed during the briefing that Article 140-A concerned the establishment of local governments in the provinces, while its sub-clause (2) assigned the constitutional responsibility of conducting local government elections to the commission.
The commission reviewed the possible implications of the suspension of Article 140-A in the remaining districts for the ongoing local government election process.
“After detailed deliberations, the commission decided that, in view of the said order, holding local government elections in the remaining districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was no longer possible,” the statement said.
The ECP subsequently ordered that all steps taken so far towards conducting local government elections in the province be suspended until further orders.
