The KP government, for its part, assured the commission of its full cooperation in organizing the polls.
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially launched consultations with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to determine the date of local elections in 23 districts, with both sides agreeing to hold another round of negotiations in 15 days before finalizing the election schedule.
The development took place on Tuesday during a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja at the ECP Secretariat, during which the commission said the delimitation of 23 districts had been completed and it was fully ready to hold the elections.
The KP government, for its part, assured the commission of its full cooperation in organizing the polls.
The meeting was attended by members of the Election Commission, ECP Secretary, KP Chief Secretary, Provincial Local Government Secretary and senior ECP officials.
The term of office of local governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expired on March 15 this year. Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2013, elected local representatives serve a term of four years.
According to an ECP press release, the Chief Election Commissioner highlighted the constitutional importance of local governments, saying that holding local elections was mandatory under Article 140-A of the Constitution.
“Under Section 219(4) of the Electoral Act, 2017, the ECP is required to hold local elections within 120 days of the expiration of the mandate of local governments,” he was quoted as saying.
The commission was informed that the terms of office of local government institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expired on March 14 and June 19, 2026, respectively.
The ECP told the meeting that the delimitation process of the province’s 23 districts had been completed and that it was “fully prepared” to hold the elections.
The commission also reiterated that consultation with the provincial government was a legal prerequisite before announcing the election schedule.
