Punjab local bodies polls to be held in April next year

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to hold local government polls in Punjab in the last week of April 2023, an ECP spokesperson said on Wednesday, pinning the holdup on delaying tactics.

Quoting the minutes of a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, to review the Punjab local elections schedule, the spokesman said a consensus to that effect was reached after detailed consultations, Geo News reported.

According to the spokesperson, the meeting was informed that local government laws were changed twice due to which the ECP had to conduct the demarcation of local constituencies twice. The term of the Punjab local bodies expired on January 1, 2022.

He said the provincial government notified Punjab Local Government Act on November 16, 2022, and as per the new law, the ECP would have to delimit the constituencies for the third time. Moreover, the Punjab government was yet to notify Punjab local government constituency rules and Punjab Local Government Conduct of Election Rules, the spokesperson added.

“The Punjab government is obliged to support [the ECP] in the light of the constitution, law, and orders of the Supreme Court,” the spokesperson added.

The ECP had either conducted or was about to conduct local elections in all provinces, the spokesperson said quoting the CEC. “Only Punjab remains where the laws have been changed during different periods,” the CEC said chairing the meeting.

The CEC also said elections could not be held only in Punjab because of delaying tactics. He did not mention who was dragging their feet on the local polls.

According to the ECP spokesperson, Chief Secretary Punjab asked the ECP that before scheduling the local polls, it should be remembered that the holy month of Ramadan might coincide with the local elections in late April. “For that reason, the ECP should decide an appropriate date,” the spokesperson quoted chief secretary Punjab as saying.