ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday rejected a petition filed by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti seeking the postponement of local government elections in Quetta, confirming that polling will be held on December 28 as scheduled.
The chief minister had approached the commission earlier this week, citing the fragile law and order situation in the provincial capital and the suspension of internet services as grounds for delaying elections for the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation.
In its written verdict, the election commission ruled that the application lacked sufficient legal merit. By a majority decision, the six-member commission decided that the polling process in District Quetta would proceed on the announced date. One member of the commission dissented and supported the request for postponement.
The order directed the Balochistan government to extend full administrative and logistical support to all election officials involved in the conduct of the polls. The provincial authorities were also instructed to ensure foolproof security arrangements for voters, candidates, polling staff and the general public to guarantee the smooth conduct of the election process.
The commission noted that the appeal was formally submitted by the chief minister on December 8, requesting rescheduling of the elections until security conditions, weather, administrative preparedness, constituency demarcation and voter list accuracy were fully ensured. The matter was taken up for review the following day.
Addressing objections related to constituency delimitation, the commission stated that the process had been completed in accordance with legal requirements, including the publication of preliminary lists, receipt of objections, and disposal of representations through hearings before finalisation.
The order also referred to an earlier ruling of the Balochistan High Court issued on October 10, which dismissed similar petitions and directed the election authorities to hold local government elections in Quetta at the earliest possible date.
On the issue of the local government term, the commission clarified that the chief minister had incorrectly calculated the expiry period. It stated that under the Balochistan Local Government Act 2010, the term of local governments is four years. Union council members and municipal bodies had taken oath on February 9, 2023, which places the expiry of their term in February 2027. District council officials, who took oath on July 6, 2023, will complete their term in July 2027.
The commission further stated that reconciliation of electoral rolls had already been carried out where required, including door-to-door verification to align voters with updated census blocks, wards and constituency boundaries. Public notices were also issued to facilitate registration and transfer of votes before the election schedule was finalised.
The order revealed that the delimitation process had been completed twice and election programmes were issued on two occasions after consultations with the Balochistan government. However, the elections could not be held earlier despite repeated efforts by the commission.
Regarding the concerns over security and weather conditions, the ECP cited a precedent from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in October 2021, when similar objections were raised. In that case, the Supreme Court had upheld the commission’s decision to proceed with local government elections and directed the provincial administration to ensure their conduct.
The commission also noted that the printing of ballot papers had already begun and that most of the required ballots had been printed.
In a dissenting note, ECP member Shah Muhammad Jatoi agreed with the majority on matters related to delimitation, voter rolls and the legal term of the local governments. However, he observed that harsh winter conditions could significantly affect voter turnout, as many residents traditionally migrate from Quetta to other districts during December. He also expressed concern that the prevailing law and order situation in the province remained unfavourable for holding elections at this stage.
The Balochistan government had earlier sought postponement of the Quetta polls on November 2 on similar grounds, but that request was also rejected the next day. Prior to that, on October 6, the Balochistan High Court had dismissed multiple constitutional petitions seeking a delay and ordered the election authorities to proceed with the polls.
Following the high court’s direction, the ECP finalised preparations and announced the election schedule for Quetta on November 13. Polling will be held across 172 union councils and 641 wards, with 2,710 candidates contesting in the district.
The previous local government bodies, elected in 2015, completed their tenure in January 2019. Under the Elections Act 2017, new local body elections should be held within 120 days of the expiry of the term. However, the process remained delayed for years due to political disagreements over amendments to the Balochistan Local Government Act 2010 and disputes over constituency delimitation.
While local government elections were eventually held in most districts of the province in 2022, the polls in Quetta were repeatedly deferred due to ongoing litigation over ward boundaries.
