Pakistan’s Election Commission rejects postponement of local elections in Punjab — Dawn

Pakistan’s Election Commission has rejected the Punjab provincial government’s proposal to hold local elections in three phases in April 2027. The commission decided to immediately announce the voting schedule and instructed its staff to submit a draft election programme for approval, Dawn reports.

At the beginning of October, the electoral body proposed holding elections to Punjab’s local authorities on December 14 and sent a draft schedule to the province’s chief secretary for consultations. At the same time, the Punjab government proposed holding the vote on April 4, 11 and 18, 2027.

Arguments of the Punjab government

The provincial authorities explained their request for a postponement by expected smog, dense fog and adverse winter weather in December and January. They also referred to the start of Ramadan in February.

According to the government, phased voting would facilitate the deployment of election staff and security forces, the transportation of election materials, administrative oversight and voters’ access to polling stations. On October 14, the Punjab cabinet approved this option and proposed separately agreeing with the commission on the distribution of districts among the three phases.

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Position of the Election Commission

The commission deemed the provincial government’s response unsatisfactory. It noted that consultations with Punjab had concluded on August 20, and the provincial authorities had then agreed to hold local elections between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.

The electoral body also said it had previously requested from the Punjab government a list of officials to be appointed as district returning officers, returning officers and their assistants. Due to the absence of these lists, the commission instructed the provincial authorities to provide them within a week.

Previous local elections in Punjab were held in 2015, and the terms of the elected councils ended on December 31, 2021. Under Article 140A of the Constitution and the Elections Act, a new vote was to be held within 120 days after the end of their term, but it was repeatedly postponed.