ISLAMABAD: The much-awaited local government (LG) elections in Punjab and Sindh may not take place as per schedule because government printing presses have sought more time to print the required number of ballot papers, according to an official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Talking to this correspondent, the official said that at a meeting here on Friday, the heads of the Printing Corporation of Pakistan, Security Printing Press and five other printing organisations sought 22 more days for printing ballot papers for Punjab and 15 days for Sindh. The meeting was presided over by ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan.

“As a result, the commission is in a fix because it told the Supreme Court that provinces, not the ECP, were delaying polls,” he said.

Sources said the provinces had decided not to approach the court to seek more time and let the ECP be blamed for the delay because it was responsible for getting the ballot papers printed.

According to the schedule, polls were supposed to be held in Punjab and Sindh on Jan 30 and 18, respectively.

The final lists of candidates from both provinces were to be issued on Jan 13, to be followed by the printing ballot papers.

The meeting was informed that Punjab required approximately 300 million ballot papers and Sindh 30m.

Earlier, 110m ballot papers were to be printed for Sindh but with the introduction of a ‘panel system’ the number required has come down to 3m. “Under the system, likeminded candidates in a constituency will contest polls from the platform of a panel. One panel requires one ballot paper, therefore, the reduction in the number of papers required for the province,” another official of the ECP said.

Senior officials of the ECP will hold a meeting soon to decide the line of action. The meeting cannot take place before Monday because the officials are going to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday to inaugurate biometric system installed on the demand of the KP government to ensure that polls are held in a transparent way.