ISLAMABAD: With the cases involving prolonged delay in the conduct of local government elections in Islamabad and Punjab already pending, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has fixed another case related to the LG elections—this time involving Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—for hearing.
The electoral body, in this context, has issued notices to the chief secretary KP and the secretary LG KP for appearing in person on the coming Thursday (16 April) for the hearing of the case regarding the LG elections in KP, reveals a recent cause list issued by the ECP.
The LG polls in KP were held phase-wise. In the first phase, LG elections were held in 17 KP districts— Peshawar, Buner, Bajaur, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kohat, Karak, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Tank, Haripur, Khyber, Mohmand, Charsadda, Hangu and Lakki Marwat—on 19 December 2021. The LG representatives in these districts took oath on 15 March 2022. Their four-year term expired on 15 March 2026.
In the second phase, the LG polls were held in the remaining 18 districts of KP— Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Shangla, Malakand, Kurram, Orakzai, Abbottabad, Battagram, Kolai Pallas, Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, North Waziristan and South Waziristan—on 31 March 2022.
Of these districts, the LG representatives of all the districts, barring Mansehra, took oath on 20 June 2022. Their four-year term would be ending on the coming 20 June. Due to the unavailability of the returning officers concerned on 20 June 2022, the LG representatives in Mansehra took oath on June 28, 2022 which implies that their respective-four-year term would end on the coming June 28.
Apart from that, the cases regarding prolonged delay in the conduct of LG elections in Punjab, the country’s largest province, and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the federal capital, were held in the ECP last month.
The local bodies’ term in the ICT expired on February 14, 2021, and in Punjab on December 31, 2021.
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.
This law provides that the ECP shall hold LG elections within 120 days of the expiry of the local governments’ term in a province, cantonment, or the ICT.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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