ECP Rejects Balochistan CM’s Plea to Postpone Quetta Local Government Elections; Polls to Be Held on December 28

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected Balochistan Chief Minister’s request to postpone the upcoming local government elections in Quetta and issued a detailed order confirming that the polls will be held as scheduled on December 28, 2025.

According to the ECP, delaying the elections on the grounds of weather or security concerns is not justified, as the Commission has completed all preparations for the electoral process. The order emphasizes that under Articles 218(3) and 140A of the Constitution, along with the Elections Act 2017, the ECP is constitutionally obligated to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, and federal as well as provincial governments are required to support this process.

The Commission further stated that the delimitation of constituencies in Quetta has been completed in accordance with the law and has already been upheld by the court. Therefore, the objections raised by the Chief Minister regarding delimitations have been dismissed.

The ECP also clarified that the information presented by the Chief Minister regarding the tenure of elected representatives was inaccurate. The local government election schedule for Quetta was originally issued on October 19, 2023, and the courts had instructed that the process be completed promptly in public interest.

In light of these findings, the ECP has ruled that the Quetta local government elections will proceed as planned on December 28.