Holding Local Body Elections for Five Months “Beyond Understanding”: Governor Balochistan

**Quetta:** Governor of Balochistan, Sheikh Jafar Mandokhel, expressed surprise over the timing of local body elections in Quetta, stating that organizing elections in the last five months of the government’s term is difficult to comprehend, especially as no elections were held during the past five years.

In an interview with a private TV channel, he said the government is compelled to conduct the elections following a directive from the Balochistan High Court. He expressed hope that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would agree on a consensus mayor for Quetta to ensure positive leadership for the city.

Sheikh Jafar Mandokhel highlighted that maintaining law and order in Balochistan remains a significant challenge for the government. While the current situation differs from past conditions and will take time to stabilize, he assured that improvements will soon be visible across the province.

Regarding the provincial government’s two-and-a-half-year term, the governor said sufficient discussion has already taken place, and further commentary is unnecessary. He urged the public to adopt a positive approach during the local elections to ensure a stable and progressive leadership emerges for Quetta.