ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday set July 1 as the deadline for authorities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad to submit long-pending maps, notifications and other data needed to take forward the local government (LG) elections.
The commission summoned senior officials from both administrations to explain the prolonged delays.
Chairing a high-level meeting at the ECP Secretariat, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, along with members of the commission, ECP Secretary and senior officials, reviewed the preparations for the local body elections in Islamabad, Punjab and KP.
Expressing displeasure over the pace of progress, the commission directed the KP chief secretary, local government secretary, chief commissioner and deputy commissioner of Islamabad to appear before it on July 1 after furnishing all pending documents.
The commission expressed particular concern over the KP government’s failure to provide required maps and associated data for 15 districts despite repeated requests.
Invoking Article 220 of the Constitution, which requires the executive authorities to assist the ECP in discharging its constitutional functions, the commission ordered that notices be issued to the KP chief secretary and the local government secretary.
The two officials were asked to submit the required maps and data before the next hearing on July 1 and to personally explain the reasons for the delay.
The committee was also informed that the issue relating to demarcation of municipal corporations and notification of number of union councils (UCs) in each municipal corporation of Islamabad had already been sent to the federal cabinet for approval.
However, although the matter is before the cabinet, the required notices and cards have not yet been provided to the ECP. Therefore, the commission also fixed the hearing of the Islamabad case for July 1 and sent notices to the chief commissioner and deputy commissioner of Islamabad.
For Punjab, the ECP has directed its provincial office to complete all necessary preparations so that the election schedule can be announced immediately after the delimitation exercise is finalized.
The commission noted that local elections have been repeatedly postponed across the country due to legal, administrative and procedural obstacles.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the term of office of local governments expired on March 15, 2026. Under the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2013, elected local representatives have a term of four years.
Under Article 140-A of the Constitution and Section 219(4) of the Electoral Act, fresh local elections were required within 120 days, meaning they should have taken place by the end of April 2022.
However, repeated amendments to the provincial local government law have prevented the process from moving forward.
