42 cantonments: ECP urged to consult govt regarding date for holding polls

ISLAMABAD: The Defence Ministry has suggested to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult the federal government for finalising a date for holding the local government elections in all the 42 cantonments across Pakistan, the cut-off date for which is the coming 8 August.

This transpired in a meeting between the senior officials of the ECP, the Defence Ministry and its attached department; the Military Lands and Cantonments (ML&C) on Wednesday.

The meeting was briefed that the LG elections across the 42 Cantonment Boards (CBs) were held on 12 December 2021. The four-year term of the elected representatives of any CB begins with their oath-taking, the meeting was briefed.

Keeping in view that Kamra was the last CB to have completed its four-year LG term on this month’s 11th, the LG elections in the CBs are required to be held latest by 8 August this year, in accordance with Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, the meeting was informed.

This section provides that the ECP shall hold LG elections within 120 days of the expiry of the LGs’ term in a province, cantonment, or the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The officials concerned cited the Section 219(3) of the Elections Act, 2017 to suggest to the ECP to hold consultation with the federal government for fixing a date for holding LG elections in the CBs in accordance with the aforementioned law.

Relatedly, the meeting was briefed, a written request is required from the federal government to the ECP to issue the LG elections programme in the CBs keeping in view the Section 19D(2) of the Cantonments Act, 1924.

The meeting decided to take the required steps to ensure the timely conduct of the LG polls in the CBs.

On 16 January this year, the ECP issued the schedule for the delimitation of wards for the 42 CBs.

Under this schedule, the delimitation exercise is to be completed on the coming 20 April with the issuance of the final list of the delimited CB wards.

Of the 42 CBs, 20 are located in Punjab — Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Taxila, Wah, Attock, Kamra, Sanjwal, Jhelum, Mangla, Kharian, Murree Hills, Sargodha, Shorkot, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore, Walton, Okara, Multan and Bahawalpur.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 11 CBs — Peshawar, Nowshera, Cherat, Risalpur, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad, Havelian and Murree Gallies.

Sindh has eight CBs — Pano Aqil, Hyderabad, Karachi, Clifton, Manora, Malir, Faisal and Korangi Creek.

And, in Balochistan, there are three CBs—Quetta, Loralai and Zhob.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026