Punjab elections case: ECP forms committee to work in coordination with Punjab govt

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has constituted a committee to work in coordination with Punjab government to finalise measures for holding local government elections in Pakistan’s largest province, warning that Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz would be summoned if the provincial government continued to show non-compliance with electoral body’s directions over LG elections.

The decision regarding the formation of the committee was taken on Thursday by the five-member ECP full bench that heard the case regarding non-conduct of LG elections in Punjab.

Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhar Zaman and Secretary LG Punjab Shakeel Ahmad Mian appeared before the bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The CS Punjab informed the bench that procedural constraints caused delay in the approval of LG rules and related modalities.

Previously, the LG rules were approved by the CM Punjab, a power now delegated to the CM’s cabinet, he said.

Zaman assured the bench that the provincial government would soon fulfil the related requirements to hold LG elections.

Secretary LG Punjab informed the bench that the matter regarding LG elections was sent to a cabinet committee that caused delay due to some procedural hitches.

He said the demarcation process would be completed by 26 January.

The ECP bench constituted a committee, headed by Special Secretary ECP Zafar Iqbal Hussain, and tasked it to work in coordination with the Punjab government’s committee, to finalise steps by 10 February for holding LG elections in the province.

“This is a crying shame that the local government elections have not been held in Punjab since the year 2021—don’t force us to summon the CM Punjab and make her sit here—if the results are not achieved within the given timeline, then the ECP will take the matter in its hands,” remarked the CEC.

The case was adjourned till 20 February.

On 9 October, last year, the ECP announced the programme for the delimitation of constituencies for Punjab LG elections that was to complete by 12 December 2025.

However, the electoral body withdrew this delimitation schedule on 21 October following the passage of the new LG law by the Punjab Assembly.

Also, on 21 October, the ECP gave the Punjab government four weeks to frame the delimitation rules and meet related requirements under the new LG law passed by PA, a deadline that expired on 18 November but was never met by the provincial government.

Presently, the local bodies are in place in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and cantonment boards, but LG elections in Punjab and the federal capital have been facing an inordinate delay since 2021.

The local bodies’ term in the ICT expired on 14 February 2021, and in Punjab on 31 December 2021.

Legally, the electoral body is bound to hold LG elections within 120 days of the expiry of the relevant local bodies’ term, under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026