• Says ready for elections in Punjab; faces legal, administrative issues in KP, Islamabad, Quetta, cantonments
• CM Bugti vows timely polls in Balochistan, with no excuses

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday said it was ready to hold local government (LG) elections in Punjab but faces legal and administrative hurdles in conducting polls in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Quetta and cantonment boards.

The assessment came at a special meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja to review preparations for LG polls in all provinces, Islamabad and cantonments.

On Punjab, the meeting was informed that the ECP was prepared to hold LG polls and had sent a draft election schedule to the provincial government. The ECP has sought lists for appointment of district returning officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers to enable appointments, and also asked the Punjab government to respond to the draft schedule at the earliest.

The ECP said the preparations had been started in Sindh for timely holding of LG polls.

Legal issues in capital, cantonments

In Islamabad, delimitation had been completed, but the ICT Amendment Ordinance 2026 had lapsed, the meeting was informed.

According to the statement, a National Assembly Standing Committee had approved legislation in line with the ordinance and, therefore, the ECP decided to take up the matter with the federal government for the “immediate completion of legislation”.

On the LG polls in the cantonments, the meeting was briefed delimitation in all cantonments had been completed and the ECP was ready to hold polls. But under the amended Cantonments Act, the federal government was required to make a request for it.

Delimitation, ‘slow’ response

On Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ECP recalled that delimitation had been completed in 23 districts and was underway in seven when the provincial government amended Section 6 of the KP Local Government Act 2023, raising the threshold for village and neighbourhood councils from 5,000-15,000 to 30,000-40,000.

The ECP noted the amended threshold was not in conformity with the number of village and neighbourhood councils given in the 9th Schedule of the Act, making delimitation unworkable.

About Balochistan, the ECP said LG institutions term would expire on Feb 8, 2027, yet LG polls could not be held in Quetta.

The ECP said it had completed delimitation on May 21 in compliance with the court order, but the Balochistan government split Quetta into two districts without providing relevant data.

However, Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti at an event in Quetta on Monday vowed that the government was fully prepared to hold the upcoming LG elections without delay. He noted Balochistan remains the only province where LG elections had already been held. He assured that fresh elections would be conducted immediately after completion of current term, with no excuses or delays.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2026