LAHORE: The Punjab government appears set to delay the long-awaited local government elections in the province once again, despite the polling schedule proposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), it emerged on Thursday.
Earlier this month, the electoral body proposed holding local government elections in Punjab on December 14 and sent a draft of the suggested schedule to the Punjab chief secretary for consultation.
The Punjab cabinet has instead proposed holding the elections in phases on April 4, 11 and 18, following recommendations by a ministerial committee formed to consult the ECP on the conduct of local government elections in the province.
In this regard, the Punjab Local Government and Community Development Department wrote to the ECP on Wednesday.
The letter, which conveyed the ministerial committee’s decision, cited smog, dense fog and adverse winter weather conditions during December and January, followed by the commencement of Ramazan in February, as reasons for not holding the elections as scheduled.
The letter said the cabinet’s ministerial committee had held its second meeting on October 5, during which it deliberated at length on the ECP’s draft election schedule.
The committee discussed scenarios arising from the smog, dense fog and adverse winter weather conditions expected in Punjab during December and January, followed by Ramazan in February, the letter stated.
It proposed holding the local government elections in phases to facilitate the effective deployment of election staff and security personnel, the efficient transportation of polling materials, better administrative oversight and improved accessibility for voters. The phased approach would also help avoid adverse weather conditions typically experienced during December and January and the period immediately following Ramazan, the letter said.
The letter added that the Punjab cabinet considered the committee’s recommendations early on Wednesday and approved a proposal to hold the elections in three phases on April 4, 11 and 18, 2027, all of which fall on Sundays.
The cabinet also decided that the allocation of districts among the three phases may be deliberated and thereafter mutually agreed with the ECP in a dedicated meeting, keeping in view administrative, logistical, security and geographical considerations as well as weather conditions, the letter said.
On October 5, the ECP, in a meeting, upheld that it was prepared to hold local government polls across the province.
On August 6, the Punjab cabinet had approved an allocation of Rs12.5 billion for holding local government elections in the province.
The last local government elections in Punjab were held in 2015 under the Punjab Local Government 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.
The PTI government had dissolved the elected local bodies in April 2019 before they completed their tenure. The move was later struck down by the Supreme Court, which restored them. They eventually completed their term on Dec 31, 2021.
Successive provincial governments repeatedly amended or replaced the Punjab Local Government 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.
Under Article 140A of the Constitution and the Elections Act, local government elections should be held within 120 days of the expiry of local bodies. Since the councils’ term ended in Dec 2021, elections were due by April 2022, but they have been repeatedly postponed.