The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided on Thursday that the first phase of local government elections in Punjab will be held on February 7, 2027, citing fog and weather conditions, while preparations for local polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were halted until further orders. The commission had earlier proposed December 14 for Punjab.
Before a four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, Punjab's chief secretary said the provincial government was fully prepared and had supplied all information on returning officers. He asked, however, that polling be held in phases after January 20, citing dense fog in December and January, short daylight hours and cold weather that could discourage turnout. The commission accepted the request, noting its constitutional duty under Articles 140A and 219.
Punjab last held local elections in 2015, and the elected councils' term ended in December 2021. By law, fresh polls were due by April 2022, but repeated changes to local government laws and administrative delays have kept pushing them back.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ECP acted a day after the federal government extended the suspension of Article 140A to the entire province. On October 28, the commission had decided to hold polls across the province except 12 districts facing serious security challenges.