ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday withdrew the delimitation schedule for Punjab’s local body elections following the passage of a new local government law.
According to an official statement, the decision was made during a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja. The ECP secretary briefed the meeting that the Punjab Assembly had passed the Local Government Act 2025, which has also been approved by the provincial governor.
With the enactment of the new law, the Local Government Act 2022 stands repealed, prompting the commission to withdraw the earlier notification issued for delimitations under the previous framework.
Earlier, on October 8, the ECP had announced that local body elections in Punjab would be held in December 2025 under the 2022 act. A five-member bench headed by CEC Raja had directed that the delimitation of constituencies be completed within two months to pave the way for polls.
At that time, the CEC had expressed concern over delays in holding elections, terming it “a matter of embarrassment” that polls were yet to be conducted in Islamabad and Punjab.
The ECP had also come under pressure from political parties, including the PPP, which had urged the commission to hold the local government elections without further delay.
