ECP decides to hold Punjab’s local body elections in last week of Dec

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a reserved decision in the case against not holding local government elections in Punjab.

The Election Commission has issued a six-page written decision in the Punjab local government elections case. The decision was issued by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, members Nisar Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, and Babar Hassan Bharwana.

The decision by Election Commission has said that local government elections in Punjab will be held in the last week of December 2025. Delimitation should begin in the province from tomorrow. The Election Commission will conduct local government elections in Punjab under the 2022 law.

In the written decision, the Election Commission ordered to conduct delimitation within 2 months.

Earlier, a four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case related to the delay in local government elections in Punjab.

During the hearing, the Chief Election Commissioner said that the ECP will take a decision today itself, and delimitation will start tomorrow. Yesterday, the government minister stated that the Election Commission should make a decision. We will hold the election; they themselves are delaying and saying that the Election Commission is delaying.

Sikandar Sultan Raja said that the local government elections were not held in the largest province of the country. This is not only a shame for the ECP but also for various governments. All the governments that came did not want local government elections to be held. Elections were not held in Punjab and Islamabad. The time has come for the Election Commission to decide.

He stated that we should use our authority to announce the election. The ECP is reserving the decision. If there are so many opponents, then amend the constitution and law so that there is no local government. The Election Commission will announce the decision regarding the Punjab local government today.

Secretary ECP Umar Hameed said that the Punjab government obstructed the local government elections. Local government laws were changed 5 times. The law is being amended for the sixth time. Local government elections were held with great effort in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Cantonment, all provincial governments delayed and obstructed.

He added that the term of Punjab's local government elections had ended on December 31, 2021. We conducted delimitation in Punjab three times, announced the election schedule once, and sent the local government in Punjab with feedback. The Chief Secretary had said that the local government had sent a bill to the Punjab Assembly.

DG Law says that according to the 2022 rules, if there is no EVM, local government elections can be held on ballot papers. There is no obstacle in holding elections in Punjab. The 2022 Local Government Law is in place now. Elections can be held on delimitation under the 2022 Local Government Law.

ECP officials said that the Supreme Court had said that there would be serious consequences for obstructing the local government elections. It has been three years since the term of the Punjab government ended. The 2022 law has not yet expired. We should implement the 2022 law and run the affairs. The Punjab government says that our law has not been made. They cannot do anything that can take away the authority of the Election Commission. The Punjab government is bound to hold local government elections.

Officials said that the case is scheduled for October 14 in the Lahore High Court. They also have to respond. There has been a delay of three years and 9 months in the local government elections in Punjab. The 2013 local government law is in place. It is our responsibility to hold local government elections.

Punjab government officials said that the standing committee cleared the law on August 6, then the flood hit, and the assembly session could not be held. We informed the government of the commission’s notice. The government has said that as soon as the assembly session is held, the law will be passed. As soon as the next assembly session is held, the law will be presented for approval.

The Election Commission Secretary said that Jamaat-e-Islami had applied to elections in the Lahore High Court. In May, the Punjab government said that the legislature has the power to make laws and cannot give any time. If Punjab does not agree to the elections today, then local government elections can be held on the basis of the 2022 law.

The Election Commission Special Secretary said that we should now make progress in the local government elections in Punjab. The previous 2022 law of the Punjab Local Government is still in force. Local government elections can be held in Punjab under the previous law.

The Election Commission reserved the decision in the case related to the Punjab local government elections. The Chief Election Commissioner declared that we will announce the decision today.

Later, the Election Commission of Pakistan, while announcing its decision, declared that local government elections would be held in the province of Punjab in the last week of December 2025.