The issue of Local Bodies (LB) elections has become controversial for no other reason than mismanagement by the provincial governments, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Supreme Court (SC) under former Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The fear of contempt of court and suo motus had kept the provincial governments and the ECP from refusing to conduct LB election unless necessary arrangements had been completed to get credible results. The haste created chaos in promulgating the necessary LB laws, especially in Punjab and Sindh. Delimitations under the Musharraf regime, when the last LB elections took place in Pakistan, were gerrymandered to accommodate MQM in Sindh. It was obvious that any step to undo the advantageous position enjoyed by MQM in Sindh would evoke agitation and litigation as has happened. In Punjab too, new delimitations were required to adjust for population increases. In order to conduct LB elections on time, the ECP allowed the government to conduct delimitations since it lacked the manpower to do the needful in time. The result is that both the Sindh and Lahore High Courts have struck down the delimitations carried out in both the provinces. Neither court raised the important point of the ECP’s absence from the entire process. The ECP on its part had been unable to work out the time required for printing ballot papers and arranging for other things such as inks, etc. It is now back to the doors of the SC to get an extension in time for the reasons cited above. The argument that LB elections or for that matter any electoral activity is the domain of the ECP should be firmly established so that electioneering becomes non-controversial. As long as the executive remains empowered to delimit constituencies, the grievances of competing parties would keep rising. Delimitations in every province should be carried out by the ECP, and if it lacks resources, either the governments provide these resources or the ECP supervises the process for credibility. The governments should also realize that postponing LB elections is undermining their democratic credentials. The suspicion that the PML-N and the PPP are wary of devolving power to the lower tiers is gaining currency. It is now up to the ECP primarily to assume the responsibility of conducting the LB elections and give a final timeframe to the SC. *