ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced that it has formally launched preparations for local government elections in the federal capital.
The electoral watchdog, while reiterating its stance, declared that it is ready to conduct the polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite legal and administrative hurdles created by amendments to local government laws.
According to an official statement, the delimitation process for local government elections in Islamabad will begin on August 1 and continue until October 13, 2026. The ECP said training of delimitation committees has been completed and the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad has provided the required maps for the exercise.
The Commission also informed that it has sent its recommendations on the draft Local Government Conduct of Election Rules to the Ministry of Interior and the Chief Commissioner Islamabad, urging the federal government to notify the rules without delay so that election material can be printed and other logistical arrangements completed in time.
In Punjab, the ECP said hearings on objections to the preliminary delimitations have been completed.
Delimitation authorities will communicate their decisions to the committees by August 7, while the final delimitations will be published on August 17.
The Commission said it would immediately consult the Punjab government on the election date after publication of the final delimitations, adding that it is fully prepared to hold local government elections in the province.
Regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ECP said delimitation has been completed in 23 districts, while work is continuing in the remaining seven districts. The Commission recalled that it held consultations with the KP Chief Secretary and Secretary Local Government on July 14 under Section 219(3) of the Elections Act regarding the election schedule and granted the provincial government 15 days at its request.
However, the ECP said the provincial government subsequently amended Section 5(e) of the KP Local Government Act on July 21, changing the population limits for Village and Neighbourhood Councils while leaving the number of seats unchanged in the Ninth Schedule.
The Commission said this created a legal anomaly, making delimitation impossible in the affected districts, and asked the provincial government to address the inconsistency.
According to the statement, the KP Chief Secretary informed the ECP on July 28 that the provincial government intends to amend the Ninth Schedule and sought three weeks for the purpose. The Commission accepted the request but maintained that it remains fully prepared to conduct local government elections in the province, noting that the amendments were introduced at a critical stage of the election process.
The ECP reminded that under Articles 140-A and 219(d) of the Constitution and Section 219 of the Elections Act, 2017, it is constitutionally bound to hold local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of local councils’ tenure.
