ECP agrees Punjab local polls Dec-Jan

The Pakistan — Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) agreed in principle to the Punjab government's proposal to hold long-delayed local government elections in Punjab between December 15, 2026 and January 15, 2027. The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, with a Punjab cabinet committee led by Zeeshan Rafiq in attendance. The ECP stressed the constitutional requirement for local governments and noted that delimitation had been completed. The Punjab government cited school exam schedules and fog avoidance as reasons for the proposed window, and indicated a preference for phased elections to ensure security and administrative capacity. The ECP asked for a detailed phasing plan. Punjab has not held local government elections since 2015, with repeated legislative changes causing delays. The Punjab cabinet has approved Rs12.52 billion for the elections and recruitment of 900 union council secretaries. Separately, the ECP granted Pakistan — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a three-week deadline to amend its local government law for its own polls.