Islamabad, August 20, 2026: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday agreed in principle to the Punjab government’s proposal to hold local government elections in the province between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027, potentially ending years of delays in the province’s local body electoral process.
The decision was taken during an important meeting at the ECP headquarters in Islamabad chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and attended by a four-member Punjab cabinet committee, senior provincial officials and members and senior officials of the election commission.
The Punjab cabinet committee was headed by Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq and included Mines and Minerals Minister Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, Agriculture Minister Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah and Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat. Punjab Chief Secretary and the special secretary for local government also attended the meeting.
The chief election commissioner underscored the constitutional importance of establishing elected local governments, noting that holding local government elections was a constitutional requirement under Article 140-A of the Constitution.
He said Section 219(4) of the Elections Act required the ECP to conduct local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of the term of local governments.
The commission was informed that the delimitation process in Punjab had been completed, clearing an important procedural hurdle for the elections.
Under Section 219(3) of the Elections Act, 2017, and Section 59 of the Punjab Local Government Act, consultation with the provincial government is required before the ECP announces the election schedule.
Punjab proposes December-January polling window
Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq told the commission that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was committed to holding local government elections and had given the cabinet committee full authority to consult with the ECP on the matter.
Rafiq said the provincial government needed adequate time to initiate the election process and arrange the necessary financial, administrative and logistical resources. He also pointed out that teaching staff would be required extensively during the election process.
He therefore proposed that polling be conducted between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.
According to the provincial government, the proposed period would allow children’s examinations to conclude before the elections and avoid difficulties associated with fog in Punjab.
Punjab’s chief secretary further informed the commission that the provincial government wanted the elections to be held in phases during the proposed period to ensure adequate security and improve administrative arrangements.
The ECP agreed in principle with the proposal and asked the provincial government to submit a detailed plan as soon as possible if it intends to conduct the elections in phases.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja welcomed the proposals put forward by the Punjab cabinet committee, saying the process would pave the way for fulfilling the constitutional responsibility of establishing elected local governments.
Rs12.52bn allocated for elections
Earlier, the Punjab cabinet had approved an allocation of Rs12.52 billion for holding local government elections in the province.
The proposed elections would mark a significant development after years of delays in Punjab’s local government system.
The last local government elections in Punjab were held in 2015 under the Punjab Local Government Act, 2013. Polling was conducted in phases between October and December that year, while elected councils assumed office in 2017 following indirect elections for mayors and chairpersons.
The elected local bodies were dissolved by the PTI government in April 2019 before completing their tenure. The Supreme Court subsequently struck down the move and ordered their restoration. The councils eventually completed their term on December 31, 2021.
Since then, successive provincial governments have repeatedly amended or replaced the Punjab Local Government Act, requiring the ECP to restart key electoral preparations, including delimitation and election planning.
Changes in the legal framework, along with administrative and procedural delays, contributed to repeated postponements of local government elections.
The latest agreement between the ECP and Punjab government could now provide a clearer roadmap for elections, provided the province completes the required preparations and submits its phased polling plan, if applicable, within the stipulated timeframe.
