ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) can summon Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz over continuous delay in local government elections in the country’s federal capital and the largest province.
This was stated by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, Monday, heading a five-member full bench of the ECP, during the hearing on delay in LG elections in Punjab.
“The ECP cannot keep its eyes closed over this delay,” he told Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique.
“There should be some progress till next hearing of this case—if there’s no progress, then we will issue an order regarding LG elections in Punjab—that would be embarrassing for you,” the CEC told the minister.
“Your party is in government in Punjab and at the centre. The local government elections have not been held in both the areas. On the other hand, local government elections in three provinces have been held,” Raja added.
Punjab LG minister offered to share the draft of Punjab LG rules with the electoral body. The matter involving Punjab LG elections is pending with the related committee of the provincial government, he said. “We will try to get the required legislation done as soon as possible,” Rafique said.
The CEC responded that the ECP can summon the PM and the CM Punjab over delay in LG elections in Islamabad and Punjab.
The case was adjourned but the next date of hearing was not fixed.
Presently, the local bodies are in place in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and cantonment boards but LG elections in Punjab and federal capital have been facing an inordinate delay since 2021.
The local bodies term in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) expired on 14 February 2021, and in Punjab on 31 December 2021.
The ECP is bound to hold LG elections within 120 days of the expiry of local bodies’ term, under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act 2017.
This law provides that the ECP shall hold elections to the local governments within 120 days of the expiry of the term of a local governments of a province, cantonment or ICT.
Article 218(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan provides that it shall be the ECP’s duty to organise and conduct the elections, and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that an election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with law, and that corrupt practices are guarded against.
The ECP says that whenever it finalises the LG polls’ preparations, the LG laws are amended by the governments concerned, causing delay in the elections.
According to the poll body, it carried out delimitation exercises four times in Punjab and five times in ICT for LG elections before the LG laws were amended each time by the governments concerned, shortly after the related polls schedules were issued.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025