ECP Gives KP Government Three More Weeks to Finalise Local Election Law
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has given the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government another three weeks to complete legislation related to local government elections, warning that the long-delayed polls will ultimately have to be held.
A four-member commission headed by ECP member for Sindh Nisar Ahmed Durrani heard the case concerning local government elections in the province on Tuesday. Officials informed the commission that the delimitation process remains stalled in seven districts.
The provincial government wants local elections to be conducted simultaneously across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rather than proceeding separately in areas where preparations are already complete.
At an earlier hearing, the KP chief secretary had sought three weeks to complete the required legislative process. The commission has now granted the provincial government another three weeks, adjourning further proceedings until September 29.
KP Government Considering Changes to Local Government Law
During Tuesday’s proceedings, officials told the ECP that a provincial cabinet committee met on August 31 and directed authorities to examine local government systems operating in other provinces.
The KP chief secretary said the committee was considering amendments to the province’s local government legislation.
The legislative issue is significant because changing the law could affect constituency delimitation and potentially require substantial electoral preparations to be carried out again.
The ECP’s member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa observed during the hearing that all delimitations would have to be redone if the law is changed.
That raises the prospect of further delays if the provincial government adopts major changes to the existing system.
ECP Member Accuses KP of Delaying Tactics
The hearing also saw unusually strong remarks from members of the Election Commission.
The ECP member from Balochistan accused the KP government of using delaying tactics and warned that the commission could eventually be forced to summon the chief minister if the issue remained unresolved.
Nisar Durrani also made clear that holding the elections was not optional.
He said local government elections “will have to be held” and stressed that the Election Commission has several constitutional avenues available to ensure that the process moves forward.
The remarks indicate growing frustration within the commission over repeated delays surrounding the provincial polls.
Elections Could Be Held Across KP Simultaneously
The ECP’s special secretary told the commission that if the provincial government reaches a decision, the Election Commission is prepared to conduct local government elections across the entire province at the same time.
The central obstacle remains the incomplete delimitation process in seven districts and uncertainty surrounding possible amendments to the provincial law.
The ECP has already been working on constituency delimitation in the province.
In January, the commission formally issued a delimitation schedule for village and neighbourhood councils in 24 districts, citing powers under Articles 140-A and 222(b) of the Constitution, the Elections Act 2017 and the KP Local Government Act 2013.
By July, consultations had formally begun between the ECP and the provincial government to determine a date for elections in 23 districts.
Earlier Amendments Drew ECP Objections
The dispute over legislation has a longer background.
In July, the ECP objected to amendments made to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2013, warning that some changes could interfere with its constitutional authority over constituency delimitation and delay the elections.
One controversial provision concerned the population of village and neighbourhood councils.
The amended law provided for populations generally ranging between 30,000 and 40,000, with a permissible variation based on the 2023 Digital Census. It also allowed exceptions after consultation with the provincial government.
The ECP argued that requiring government consultation over such exceptions conflicted with the commission’s delimitation powers.
It also explicitly warned at the time that introducing the amendment at a late stage appeared capable of delaying local elections.
Local Government Terms Have Already Expired
The urgency surrounding the case stems from the expiration of elected local governments in the province.
The ECP said during earlier consultations that terms of different local government institutions in KP expired on March 14 and June 19, 2026, respectively.
Under Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, 2017, the commission is required to hold local government elections within 120 days after the expiry of a local government’s term.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja had also stressed during July consultations that elected local governments are a constitutional requirement under Article 140-A.
The constitutional provision requires provinces to establish local government systems and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility to elected local representatives.
September 29 Becomes Key Deadline
Tuesday’s order does not set a date for the KP local government elections.
Instead, it gives the provincial government another three weeks to resolve the legislative issues holding up the process.
The case will now return to the Election Commission on September 29.
By then, the KP government is expected to clarify whether it intends to amend the local government law and provide a pathway allowing the ECP to proceed with electoral preparations.
If significant amendments are approved, delimitation may have to be conducted again. If the provincial government resolves the outstanding issues without changes requiring fresh delimitations, the ECP could move closer to fixing an election date.
For now, the commission’s message to the provincial government is increasingly explicit: further procedural disputes cannot eliminate the constitutional requirement to hold local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
