ECP halts local government election preparations in KP following governor’s order

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has halted preparations for local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the provincial government’s Governor’s Order No. 3, issued on November 4, 2026.

According to a press release issued on Thursday, the matter was discussed during a meeting of the Election Commission chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The commission reviewed Clause 2 of the governor’s order, which suspends Article 140-A of the Constitution. The order extends to all districts except those specifically designated under the notification.

During the meeting, the ECP observed that Article 140-A of the Constitution concerns the establishment of local governments in provinces, while Article 140-A(2) places responsibility for conducting local government elections on the Election Commission.

The commission noted that the suspension of Article 140-A in the remaining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would prevent it from holding local government elections there.

Following a detailed review and discussion of the implications of the governor’s order, the ECP decided that local government elections could not be conducted in the remaining districts of the province.

Consequently, the commission has stopped all measures taken so far for holding local government elections in those districts.