The Punjab government has requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to grant extra time for conducting municipal elections in the province, officials said Friday.
The request came during a meeting convened by the ECP to review arrangements for the long-overdue local government polls in Punjab. Sources said the provincial government argued that the initial four-week period for completing the delimitation process was insufficient. They requested an extension of two and a half months to finalize the boundaries.
“The provincial government has asked for time until January 2026 to complete the delimitation work,” ECP sources quoted the Secretary for Local Government as saying. They emphasized that Punjab’s large size makes it difficult to finish delimitation in just four weeks.
Earlier, the Punjab government had announced that municipal elections would take place within three to four months. Provincial Minister for Local Government Zeeshan Rafique told the media at the Civil Secretariat that the provincial administration is fully prepared to hold the elections.
He explained that the Election Commission would release the official schedule once the delimitation process is complete. “All preparations from the provincial government’s side are ready. Elections will be held as soon as the ECP finalizes delimitation,” the minister added.
Officials emphasized that completing the delimitation is crucial to ensure transparent and fair municipal elections across the province. The extension request reflects the complexity of managing electoral boundaries in Punjab’s large urban and rural areas.
The ECP is expected to review the request and announce a decision soon, which will determine the final timeline for the much-anticipated local government polls in the province. Citizens and political parties are awaiting the schedule to begin preparations for the municipal elections, which are considered essential for strengthening local governance in Punjab.
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