Provinces in charge of holding elections for local bodies: ECP

Elections for local bodies are the provinces’ duty, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

A complete commission bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja held the hearing, the notification said.

The chief election commissioner emphasized during the hearing that the ECP is in charge of holding local government elections at the federal and provincial levels in accordance with the Constitution.

Provincial governments frequently refuse to organize these elections, he bemoaned. “Whenever we complete our preparations, provincial governments amend the laws, forcing us to restart the process,” he stated.

He noted that the electoral process is continuously delayed as a result of these regular law changes. “After tremendous effort, we were able to hold elections for local governments in three provinces and cantonments.

Provincial administrations have made five separate amendments to electoral legislation, according to ECP head Raja. Elections for local governments could not be held despite the ECP conducting the delimitation procedure three times and setting schedules.

The panel was told by Punjab’s chief secretary that shortly after entering office, the present provincial government started working on the Local Bodies Act. The final draft of the Local Government Act has been given to the Punjab Assembly for necessary legislation, he said, adding that feedback from all stakeholders is crucial. The necessary regulations will also be created after the legislative procedure is finished.

The provincial administration is ready to support local elections, he assured the commission.

In order for the Election Commission to start the delimitation process right away and guarantee that local government elections are held on schedule in the province, the Punjab government was instructed to finish the legislative procedure as soon as possible.