ECP agrees to Punjab’s proposal to hold local body polls between Dec 15, 2026, and Jan 15, 2027

ECP agrees to Punjab's proposal to hold local body polls between Dec 15, 2026, and Jan 15, 2027.

Key points

• The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday agreed to the Punjab government's proposal to hold local administration elections in the province between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.
• "The commission, in principle, agreed with the provincial government's proposal to hold local government elections between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027, " it stated.
• The last local administration elections in Punjab were held in 2015 under the Punjab Local Administration Act, 2013.
• Earlier, the Punjab cabinet additionally approved an allocation of Rs12.52 billion for holding local administration elections in the province.

ECP agrees to Punjab's proposal to hold local body polls between Dec 15, 2026, and Jan 15, 2027. News Desk Published August 20, 2026 Updated August 20, 2026 07: 06pm. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Notably, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday agreed to the Punjab government's proposal to hold local administration elections in the province between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.

In a press release, the commission remarked an notable session was held at the ECP's headquarters to discuss fixing a date for the local administration elections in Punjab. The session was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

In practice, a four-member Punjab cabinet committee, headed by Local Administration Minister Zeeshan Rafiq and comprising Mines and Minerals Minister Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, Agriculture Minister Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah and Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, additionally attended the session, along with the Punjab chief secretary and local administration special secretary.

Meanwhile, ECP members, the ECP secretary, and other senior authorities of the Commission additionally attended the session.

"The chief election commissioner highlighted the importance of establishing local governments and said that holding local government elections is a constitutional requirement under Article 140-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, " the statement remarked.

"Under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, the Election Commission is bound to hold local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of the term of local governments, " Raja was quoted as saying.

According to the press release, the commission was briefed that the delimitation process in Punjab had been completed.

"Under Section 219(3) of the Elections Act 2017 and Section 59 of the Punjab Local Government Act, consultation with the provincial government is necessary for announcing the date of local government elections, " it stated.

It continued that the Punjab cabinet committee briefed the commission that the chief minister of Punjab was committed to holding local administration elections in the province and had given the committee full authority to hold consultations.

"The provincial administration has to initiate the process for local administration elections and would additionally require time for the proper provision of resources. Furthermore, the services of teaching staff are required extensively during the local administration election process, " Rafiq was quoted as saying.

As the children's examinations would have been completed by then and there would additionally be no matter of fog in the province, therefore, he underscored that it would be more appropriate to hold the local administration elections from December 15, 2026, to January 15, 2027.

Meanwhile, Punjab's chief secretary briefed the commission that the provincial administration wanted to hold the elections in phases during the aforementioned period so that adequate security and better arrangements could be provided, the release stated.

Meanwhile, the commission additionally demanded a plan from the provincial administration "as soon as possible" if it wants to hold the local administration elections in phases.

"The chief election commissioner appreciated the proposals of the Punjab cabinet committee regarding the holding of local government elections in Punjab and said that this would pave the way for fulfilling a constitutional responsibility, " the release concluded.

Notably, the last local administration elections in Punjab were held in 2015 under the Punjab Local Administration Act, 2013. Polling took place in phases between October and December 2015, and elected councils assumed office in 2017 after indirect elections for mayors and chairpersons. Since then, local body polls in Punjab have experienced repeated delays.

Meanwhile, the PTI administration had dissolved the elected local bodies in April 2019 before they completed their tenure. The move was afterwards struck down by the Supreme Court. It restored them. They eventually completed their term on Dec 31, 2021.

Successive provincial governments repeatedly amended or replaced the Punjab Local Administration Act. Each legislative change required the ECP to restart preparations, including delimitation and election planning. Changing laws and administrative delays by successive governments contributed significantly to the postponement of the local body elections.

In short, ECP agrees to Punjab's proposal to hold local body polls between Dec is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.