ECP fixes February 7, 2027 for first phase of Punjab local polls
The Election Commission of Pakistan has set February 7, 2027 for the first phase of local government elections in Punjab. It also suspended the election process in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa until further orders.
- First phase of Punjab local government polls set for February 7, 2027.
- ECP accepted the Punjab government's request to hold polls after January 20.
- Election process in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa suspended until further orders.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday scheduled the first phase of local government elections in Punjab for February 7, 2027. It issued a short order after a hearing on how the elections would be conducted in the province.
A four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case. Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq, the chief secretary and the local government secretary appeared before the commission.
The Punjab government had earlier proposed holding the elections between December 15 and January 15. At the hearing, the chief secretary asked for a date after January 20, saying the province needed two months for election arrangements. He said preparations were complete and the government had no objection to polls in January or February.
According to the reports, heavy fog in Punjab, particularly Lahore, in December would make administrative arrangements difficult for election staff. The government had earlier preferred April because schools would be closed for holidays and winter days would be shorter. The commission reserved its decision, then accepted the request in the interest of justice and directed its secretariat to take follow-up action. During the hearing, Raja said: "You are celebrating Basant anyway."
Jamaat-e-Islami Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch welcomed the decision and said his party would take part in local government elections in Islamabad and Punjab.
In a separate decision, the ECP suspended the electoral process for local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa until further orders. This followed the federal government's extension of the suspension of Article 140-A of the Constitution across the province, under Order No 3 issued on November 4, 2026. The ECP press release was issued on November 5 after a meeting chaired by Raja.
The commission said: "After detailed deliberations, the commission decided that, in view of the said order, holding local government elections in the remaining districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was no longer possible," it said. It ordered that all steps taken so far toward the K-P polls be suspended.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 5 November that the ECP had reserved its decision on a Punjab government request to hold local government elections after January 20. The province had earlier sought a date between December 15 and January 15.
Why it matters
The decision fixes when residents of Punjab will vote for their local governments, starting with the first phase on February 7, 2027. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, local government election preparations in the remaining districts are halted until further orders.
