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.
asserted
it → say → Islamabad
The assessment came at a special meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja to review preparations for LG polls in all provinces, Islamabad and cantonments.
asserted
assessment → come → provinces
According to a statement by the ECP, the commission was briefed on province-wise progress on the exercise.
uncertain
commission → accord → exercise
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.
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ECP → inform → 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.
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ECP → seek → earliest
ECP further said that the preparations had been started in Sindh for timely holding of local body polls and instructions had been issued to its office to take all necessary steps.
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instructions → say → steps
Legal issues in capital, cantts
In Islamabad, delimitation had been completed, but the Islamabad Capital Territory Amendment Ordinance 2026 had lapsed
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Ordinance → complete → Islamabad
, the meeting was informed.
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meeting → inform → ?
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”.
uncertain
ECP → accord → legislation
If legislation was not done, the ECP said it would proceed to hold elections under the existing Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015.
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it → do → Act
On the local body polls in the cantonments, the meeting was briefed that delimitation in all cantonments had been completed and the ECP was ready to hold polls.
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ECP → brief → polls
However, under Section 19-D of the amended Cantonments Act, the federal government was required to make a formal request to the ECP for holding elections.
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government → amend → elections
“Despite reminders and a letter from the chief election commissioner to the prime minister, no request had been received,” the statement said.
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statement → receive → minister
It added: “The ECP decided to write a final letter to the Ministry of Defence, failing which it would take an appropriate decision regarding holding of elections.”
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it → add → elections
KP delimitation
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 2013, raising the threshold for village and neighbourhood councils from 5,000-15,000 to 30,000-40,000.
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government → recall → 30,000
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.
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delimitation → note → Act
According to the statement, the provincial government had been asked to assist the ECP and suitably amend the number of councils in the 9th Schedule.
uncertain
government → accord → Schedule
With no action taken, the case was under hearing before the ECP, which would take an “appropriate decision”.
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which → take → decision
Regarding Balochistan, the statement said the term of LG institutions will expire on Feb 8, 2027.
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term → regard → Feb
However, it noted that LG polls in Quetta could not be held despite orders of the Federal Constitutional Court.
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polls → note → Court
The ECP said it had completed delimitation on May 21, 2026, in compliance with the court order, but the provincial government bifurcated Quetta into two districts without providing boundary details and other data.
uncertain
government → say → details
The commission went on to observe that the Balochistan government’s response regarding this was “really slow”.
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response → go → this
The ECP decided to write to the provincial government for early completion of legislation and compliance with the court order, it stated.
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it → decide → order
ECP members Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Mohammad Jatoi and Justice (retired) Ikramullah, along with ECP Secretary Omar Hamid and other senior officers, attended the meeting.
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members → retire → meeting
The Aporia
