The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to expedite the legislative process, enabling the commission to begin delimitation and ensure timely local government elections.
A full bench of the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, issued these instructions during a hearing on the case related to conducting local government elections in Punjab at the Election Commission Secretariat.
CEC Raja emphasized that under Article 140-A(2) and Article 219(d) of the Constitution, as well as Section 219 of the Elections Act, the ECP is constitutionally mandated to conduct local government elections in both federal and provincial territories.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) lamented that no provincial government is ever prepared to hold local elections. He noted that whenever the Election Commission completes its preparations, provincial governments amend laws, forcing the ECP to restart the entire election process.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has managed to successfully hold local government elections in three provinces and cantonments after significant efforts. The timely conduct of local government elections remains the responsibility of the provincial governments, the ECP emphasized.
The Chief Secretary of Punjab and the Secretary of Local Government Punjab appeared before the Election Commission on behalf of the Punjab Government.
During the hearing, the Chief Secretary of Punjab informed the Election Commission that the current provincial government began working on the Local Government Act immediately after assuming power. Since feedback from all stakeholders is essential, the final draft of the Local Government Act has now been sent to the Punjab Assembly for necessary legislation. As soon as the legislative process is completed, rules will also be framed under the law. The provincial government is fully prepared to provide all kinds of support to the Election Commission for holding elections in the province.
During the hearing, the Secretary of the Election Commission, while assisting the Commission, revealed that successive provincial governments in Punjab have changed electoral laws five (5) times at various intervals.
The Election Commission conducted delimitations three (3) times, updated electoral rolls twice (2), and issued schedules for local government elections.
Despite these efforts, the holding of local government elections in the province has not been possible. The Secretary emphasized the challenges faced due to frequent changes in laws and procedures, underscoring the need for stability to ensure timely elections.