ECP starts consultations with KP govt to fix date for LG polls in 23 districts

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has formally started consultations with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to finalise the date for local government elections in 23 districts of the province.

The tenure of LGs in KP ended on March 15 this year. According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2013, local representatives are elected for a four-year term.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja chaired a meeting to this effect at the ECP Secretariat on Tuesday. Members of the commission, the ECP secretary, the KP chief secretary, the local government secretary and senior ECP officials attended the meeting.

According to a press release, the chief election commissioner emphasised the importance of establishing local governments, saying holding LG elections was a constitutional requirement under Article 140-A of the Constitution.

“Under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP is bound to hold local government elections within 120 days of the expiry of the term of local governments,” he was quoted as saying.

During the meeting, the commission was briefed that the terms of local government institutions in KP had expired on March 14 and June 19, 2026, respectively, the release said.

The ECP informed the meeting that delimitation in the 23 districts had been completed and the commission was “fully prepared” to conduct elections there, it added.

“Under Section 219(3) of the Elections Act and Rule 15(1) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Councils (Conduct of Elections) Rules, 2021, the ECP must consult the provincial government before announcing the election schedule,” the release stated.

The release added that the KP chief secretary briefed the commission that the ECP’s letter seeking consultations on the election date was received on July 8, 2026, and a summary had been sent to the provincial cabinet immediately.

“The provincial administration is ready to assist the commission and make arrangements for the polls,” the chief secretary was quoted as saying.

Moreover, the ECP asked the chief secretary to provide a copy of the summary to the commission.

It was decided that another round of consultations would be held after 15 days to fix the date for elections in the 23 districts, the release concluded.

Last week, the ECP warned the KP government against delaying local government elections, directing it to submit all pending delimitation notifications ahead of the next hearing on July 28. ...