Important progress has been made in Punjab regarding the holding of local government elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan and the Punjab government have agreed in principle to the proposal to hold the elections between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, considered the date of local government elections in Punjab. The Punjab government was represented by a four-member committee headed by Provincial Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique.
The meeting briefed the Election Commission on the completion of the delimitation process in Punjab. According to the recent schedule, the election process has been moved forward after the final delimitation list was completed in August.
The provincial government proposed to hold the elections from December to January. According to the Provincial Minister for Local Government, students’ exams would have been completed during this period. The problem of fog is also expected to be relatively less.
The government also argued that a large number of teaching staff would be required for the local body elections. Therefore, adequate time is necessary for election preparations and administrative resources.
The Election Commission, in principle agreeing with the Punjab government’s proposal, has also made progress on the issue of phased elections. If the provincial government wants to hold the elections in different phases, it should submit its plan to the commission soon.
According to the Election Commission, holding local body elections is a constitutional requirement. Article 140A of the Constitution obliges the provinces to establish a system of local government and transfer powers to the lower levels.
The local body elections in Punjab have been delayed for a long time. This month, the provincial cabinet also approved the allocation of Rs 12.52 billion for the conduct of the elections.
Now the next important step is to decide on the election plan and final schedule. Especially if the elections will be held in phases, the Punjab government will have to submit a detailed plan in this regard to the Election Commission.
