Islamabad – There has been significant progress in holding the long-pending local body elections in Punjab. The Election Commission of Pakistan and the provincial government have agreed in principle to hold polling between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.
The meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja reviewed the date and administrative preparations for the local body elections in Punjab. The Punjab government was represented by a four-member cabinet committee headed by Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique.
The Election Commission was informed in the meeting that the process of delimitation of local bodies in Punjab has been completed. After this progress, the way has been paved to move towards the regular schedule of elections.
The provincial government suggested the time from mid-December to mid-January based on several administrative reasons. According to Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique, students’ exams would have been completed by this period. The problem of fog will also be relatively less.
The government also took the stand that the services of teaching staff are required on a large scale in local body elections. Therefore, adequate time is necessary for election preparations, staff and other resources to be arranged.
On the other hand, the Punjab Chief Secretary told the meeting that the government intends to hold the elections in phases. The aim of this method is to effectively use security and administrative resources in different phases.
The Election Commission has agreed in principle to the proposal of phased elections. However, the commission has asked the Punjab government to submit a detailed plan soon if the polling is to be held in different phases.
This progress is not limited to the determination of the election date. The local body system provides citizens with a platform for representation at the local level and resolution of basic issues. Article 140-A of the Constitution obliges the provinces to establish a system of local government and devolve political and administrative powers to the lower levels.
The Election Commission also declared local body elections as a constitutional requirement in the meeting. According to the commission, under Section 219 of the Election Act, 2017, it is its responsibility to hold elections within the stipulated period after the expiry of the term of local governments.
The last local government elections in Punjab were held in 2015. After that, local government elections were continuously delayed due to various legal and administrative steps.
The electoral process has gained momentum in recent months. The Election Commission had started the process of delimitation in Punjab in April, while consultations with the provincial government on the election date moved forward after the publication of the final delimitation.
The Punjab cabinet has already allocated Rs 12.52 billion for the local government elections. This financial approval is being considered an important sign of the government’s election preparations.
Now the main focus is on the phased election plan and the final election schedule. If the Punjab government submits the required plan on time, the Election Commission will be able to decide the next steps of the election process.
However, just fixing the date will not ensure the timely holding of elections. Timely completion of delimitation, election staff, security, polling stations and other arrangements is also essential. That is why the next few weeks will be crucial for the local government election process in Punjab.
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