ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Thursday that the first phase of local government elections in Punjab will be held on 7 February 2027, while all preparations for local body polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been put on hold until further orders.
The decision came from a four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, alongside members Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Babar Hassan Bharwana. Punjab’s chief secretary and Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique appeared before the commission.
The chief secretary told the bench that Punjab had first agreed to polling between 15 December 2026 and 15 January 2027, but a cabinet committee later suggested April 2027, citing smog, dense fog, Ramazan and the unavailability of schoolteachers. The province then asked for January or February instead, saying conditions improve in February, and requested polling after 20 January, in phases.
The commission accepted the request, saying it would give candidates and voters equal opportunities. The ECP had initially proposed 14 December, but agreed to the later date after weighing the province’s request and its duty to hold the polls honestly, justly and fairly.
Punjab has waited years for local body polls. The last elections were held in 2015, and the councils elected then completed their term on 31 December 2021. Fresh polls should have followed within 120 days, but repeated changes to the provincial law forced the commission to restart preparations each time.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the commission examined a federal government order issued on 4 November extending the suspension of Article 140-A, which provides for local governments, to the entire province. It concluded that holding polls in the remaining districts was no longer possible and ordered all steps taken so far to stop until further orders. The halt is a suspension, not a cancellation.
The commission has directed its office to take follow-up action, with the formal Punjab election schedule to follow. The announcement gives Punjab voters a firm date after years of delay, while the timetable for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stays open until the constitutional position changes.
