Punjab Local Government Elections Case: Govt May Face Disqualification for Non-Compliance with Law, ECP Warns
Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has warned that failure to implement constitutional and legal provisions regarding local government elections in Punjab could lead to serious consequences, including possible disqualification of the government.
The remarks were made during the hearing on delays in Punjab’s local government elections, conducted by a five-member bench of the Election Commission headed by the Chief Election Commissioner. Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed appeared before the commission.
ECP officials stated that the Punjab Local Government Act was passed in October 2025, after which the Punjab government was given specific timelines to issue notifications and complete necessary preparations. However, the government failed to comply with those timelines.
The commission noted that the Punjab government did not provide delimitation details or the conduct of election rules, further delaying the already overdue local government polls. Officials emphasized that under Article 218(3) of the Constitution, the Election Commission holds broad powers to ensure the conduct of elections.
ECP officials pointed out flaws in the draft rules submitted by the Punjab government, adding that in case of any conflict between federal and provincial laws, federal law prevails. They said Chapter 13 of the Election Act empowers the ECP to conduct elections under its own rules, even if the provincial government fails to frame election rules.
The commission also clarified that if the provincial government does not prepare delimitation rules, the Election Commission can still carry out delimitations independently. Officials recalled that delimitation for local government elections in Punjab has already been conducted three times in the past.
The Election Commission observed that local government elections have been held in all provinces except Punjab and Islamabad. The Chief Election Commissioner asked what Punjab and Islamabad have in common, to which the Punjab member replied that the same political party is in power in both regions.
ECP officials reiterated that non-compliance with constitutional and legal obligations could result in serious consequences. When asked what those consequences could be, officials responded that disqualification may be imposed.
