The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has scheduled the first phase of local government elections in Punjab for February 7, 2027, citing fog and weather conditions, while polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have been postponed until further orders.
The commission had earlier proposed December 14 as the polling date for Punjab. In KP, elections were planned across the province, excluding 12 districts where special emergency measures were in place.
The decision was taken on Thursday by a four-member ECP bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja during a hearing on local government elections in Punjab. Members Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Babar Hassan Bharwana were also part of the bench.
Punjab Chief Secretary, Local Government and Community Development Minister Zeeshan Rafique and the department’s secretary appeared before the commission.
The chief secretary informed the ECP that a committee formed by the provincial government had earlier met the commission, where both sides discussed holding elections between December and January.
He said that the provincial government had completed the necessary preparations and submitted the required information about the appointment of returning officers and district returning officers. He added that there were no administrative obstacles to holding the polls and the government had no objection to the announcement of the election schedule.
However, he requested that polling take place after January 20, 2027, preferably in phases, citing weather conditions and administrative requirements.
The chief secretary said that dense winter fog, particularly in Lahore, could disrupt transport and other election-related activities. He also pointed to shorter daylight hours and the need to arrange transport and school buildings for use as polling stations.
He told the commission that the administration needed another two months to complete preparations and that weather conditions generally improved after January 20.
An ECP member noted that the provincial government had previously proposed April for the elections. The chief secretary responded that the government had reconsidered its position and was willing to hold polls in January or February, although he maintained that April would be more suitable because of longer daylight hours and school holidays.
The ECP observed that Articles 140A and 219(d) of the Constitution, read with Section 219 of the Elections Act, 2017, required it to hold local government elections in the provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and cantonment boards.
The commission also referred to Article 218(3), which requires it to ensure that elections are conducted honestly, justly and fairly, in accordance with the law and free from corrupt practices.
Accepting the chief secretary’s request, the ECP fixed February 7, 2027, for the first phase of local government elections in Punjab and directed its office to take further action.
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 that year, while elected councils assumed office in 2017 after indirect elections for mayors and chairpersons.
The PTI government dissolved the elected local bodies in April 2019 before the completion of their tenure. The Supreme Court later struck down the move and restored the councils, which completed their term on December 31, 2021.
Under Article 140A and the Elections Act, local government elections must be held within 120 days of the expiry of local bodies’ terms. With the councils’ tenure ending in December 2021, polls were due by April 2022 but have repeatedly been delayed.
