ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered holding the local government elections in 17 of those 23 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the delimitation of constituencies has been completed, excluding six delimited districts of the 12 districts that currently operate under the Area Representative and Development Council (ADRC), established by the federal government following the imposition of the emergency and the governor’s rule in KP.
Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Abbottabad, Haripur, Battagram, Torghar, Kohistan Upper, Kohistan Lower, Kolai Palas, Buner, Chitral Lower, Dir Lower and Dir Upper are the 17 districts where LG polls are planned to be held in accordance with the order issued by the five-member full ECP bench on Wednesday.
Bannu, Mohmand, Orakzai, Lakki Marwat, Tank and North Waziristan are the remaining six districts where delimitation for LG polls stands completed, but they are part of the ADRC.
A short written order issued by the full bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, cited the relevant laws to direct the ECP Secretariat to submit the election programme for the Commission’s approval in “respect of districts in which the delimitation process has been completed, excluding the designated districts,” that were specified in the federal government’s order dated 11 October 2026.
On the said date, emergency and governor’s rule were imposed in KP. Relatedly, the federal government notified the ARDC, a 48-member advisory body to “oversee governance, security and development in 12 designated districts in KP.” These districts are: Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan, Upper South Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Lakki Marwat.
On 16 January this year, the ECP notified to launch the delimitation of constituencies in 24 districts of KP with effect from 19 January. However, the delimitation was completed in 23 districts, excluding Swat, where delimitation was stopped after the KP government notified to divide district Swat into two districts; the district Swat and the district Bar Swat, on 27 January.
The remaining 23 districts that saw the completion of delimitation in April are: Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Orakzai, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, Tank, Abbottabad, Haripur, Battagram, Torghar, Kohistan Upper, Kohistan Lower, Kolai Palas, Buner, Chitral Lower, Dir Lower and Dir Upper.
The respective four-year terms of local bodies in KP expired in March and in June this year. 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