Islamabad/Lahore, October 15,2026: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday rejected the Punjab government’s proposal to postpone local government elections until April 2027, directing its officials to immediately submit a draft election schedule for approval.
The Punjab government had proposed holding the polls in three phases on April 4, 11 and 18, citing smog, dense fog and severe winter weather expected in December and January, as well as the commencement of Ramazan in February.
The decision to reject the request was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.
According to an ECP handout, the Punjab government responded on October 14 to the commission’s October 2 letter and draft election programme, seeking to hold the polls in three phases in April next year.
The commission termed the response “unsatisfactory”, noting that consultations with the provincial government had concluded on August 20, when the latter had agreed to hold local government elections between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.
“The provincial government now wants to change the proposed time frame,” the ECP statement said.
The commission said it would fulfil its constitutional and legal responsibilities by proceeding with the elections and issuing the schedule without further delay. It directed its office to immediately place the draft election programme before the commission for approval.
The ECP also expressed disappointment over the provincial government’s failure to provide lists of officers for appointment as district returning officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers. It directed the government to submit the lists within one week.
The Punjab Local Government and Community Development Department had approached the ECP on Wednesday, conveying the provincial cabinet’s decision to seek a postponement.
The letter said the cabinet’s ministerial committee had discussed the ECP’s draft election schedule at its second meeting on October 5, examining the possible impact of harsh winter weather and Ramazan on the electoral process.
The committee proposed conducting the elections in phases to facilitate the deployment of election staff and security personnel, transportation of polling materials, administrative oversight and voter access.
It also argued that the proposed arrangement would help avoid adverse weather conditions typically experienced in December and January.
The letter said the Punjab cabinet approved the proposal on Wednesday to hold the polls on April 4, 11 and 18, 2027, all of which fall on Sundays.
It added that the distribution of districts among the three phases could be discussed and agreed upon with the ECP at a dedicated meeting, taking into account administrative, logistical, security, geographical and weather-related considerations.
The last local government elections in Punjab were held in 2015 under the Punjab Local Government Act, 2013. Polling took place in phases between October and December, while elected councils assumed office in 2017 after indirect elections for mayors and chairpersons.
The elected local bodies were dissolved by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in April 2019 before completing their tenure. The Supreme Court subsequently struck down the move and restored the councils, which completed their term on December 31, 2021.
Since then, successive provincial governments have amended or replaced the Punjab Local Government Act, requiring the ECP to revise its preparations, including delimitation and election planning. Legislative changes and administrative delays have contributed to repeated postponements.
Article 140A of the Constitution requires provinces to establish local governments and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility to elected representatives. The Elections Act also provides a framework for holding local government elections following the expiry of elected councils’ terms.
With the previous councils completing their tenure in December 2021, the elections were due in 2022 but have yet to take place.
On October 5, the ECP reaffirmed its readiness to hold local government elections across Punjab. Earlier, on August 6, the Punjab cabinet had approved an allocation of Rs12.5 billion for the polls.
