Islamabad, November 5,2026: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that the first phase of local government elections in Punjab will be held on February 7, 2027, accepting a request by the provincial government to schedule the polls during a period of more favourable weather conditions.
A four-member ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, announced the decision while hearing a case concerning local government elections in the province.
In its short order, the commission said it had accepted the request submitted by the Punjab chief secretary.
Punjab government revises election schedule
During the hearing, the Punjab chief secretary informed the commission that the provincial government had initially agreed to hold local government elections between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.
However, following consultations, the Punjab cabinet committee had recommended April 2027, citing smog, dense fog, adverse weather conditions, the holy month of Ramadan and the unavailability of schoolteachers during that period.
The provincial government subsequently requested the ECP to schedule the elections in April 2027.
According to the commission, the government later revised its request, seeking elections in January or February 2027 on the grounds that weather conditions generally improve in February.
“Taking the Punjab government’s request into consideration, the ECP decided that the first phase of local government elections in Punjab would be held on February 7, 2027,” the commission stated.
The ECP said the decision was aimed at ensuring equal opportunities for all candidates and voters in the constituencies concerned.
It also reiterated its responsibility to conduct local government elections across the provinces, cantonment areas and Islamabad.
ECP suspends local government election process in KP
Separately, the ECP has suspended preparations for local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following a review of a federal government order.
Last week, the commission had directed its office to prepare the election schedule for KP districts where constituency delimitation had been completed, while excluding 12 districts under special administrative arrangements.
The commission had also ruled that elections would not be scheduled in Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Mohmand, Orakzai and North Waziristan under a federal government order dated October 11.
During a meeting chaired by CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja on Thursday, the commission examined another federal government order issued on November 4.
According to the ECP, the meeting reviewed Clause 2 of the order, which suspends Article 140A of the Constitution. The commission noted that the scope of the order had also been extended to districts beyond those covered by previous orders.
The ECP observed that under Article 140A(2), conducting local government elections is the responsibility of the Election Commission.
The commission also examined the implications of suspending Article 140A for the ongoing election process in the remaining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It concluded that conducting local government elections in the remaining districts was no longer possible in view of the federal government’s order.
Consequently, the ECP announced that all measures being undertaken for holding the local government elections in the affected districts had been suspended until further orders.
