The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered a halt to local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while setting February 7, 2027, for the first phase of local government polls in Punjab.
The decisions were taken during a hearing on local government elections in both provinces, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.
During the meeting, the commission reviewed an order issued by the federal government on November 4, particularly its Clause 2, which provides for the suspension of Article 140-A of the Constitution.
Following the review, the ECP decided to stop the local government election process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On October 28, the commission had directed that local government elections be held in KP districts except those where an emergency had been imposed.
Meanwhile, the ECP also directed that the first phase of local government elections in Punjab be held on February 7, 2027.
During the hearing, the Punjab government had proposed holding elections between December 15 and January 15.
However, the Punjab chief secretary told the commission that preparations were complete but additional two months were required to finalise arrangements. He cited fog during December and January as a potential hurdle and said cold weather could also affect voter turnout.
He requested the commission to schedule the elections after January 20.
The chief election commissioner accepted the request and fixed February 7 for the first phase of local government elections in Punjab.
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