ECP fixes 7 February 2027 for first phase of Punjab local polls

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that the first phase of local government elections in Punjab will take place on 7 February 2027. In the same decision, it suspended the ongoing local election process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) until further orders, according to an ECP statement.

The Punjab decision came during a hearing on the case concerning the conduct of local government elections in the province. The commission's four-member bench was headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja. The Punjab Chief Secretary briefed the commission on the provincial government's position.

The reports describe how the provincial government's stance on timing changed. It first agreed to hold the elections between 15 December 2026 and 15 January 2027. It later recommended April 2027, citing smog, fog, adverse weather, Ramadan and the unavailability of schoolteachers.

The Punjab government then proposed January or February 2027 as a suitable period, arguing that the weather generally improves in February. The commission fixed 7 February 2027 for the first phase.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ECP suspended all ongoing preparations and proceedings for local government elections, and ordered that all steps taken so far be halted. The suspension followed a federal government notification issued on 4 November.

The ECP said that notification suspended Article 140-A of the Constitution in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It said the notification went beyond the districts specified earlier and covered all remaining districts of the province. The commission concluded that this made it impossible to proceed with local government elections there.

According to the commission's spokesperson, the electoral process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will stay suspended until further orders. Nawa-i-Waqt's headline also said the Islamabad schedule had been challenged in the High Court.