ISLAMABAD
\nThe Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to hold local government polls in Punjab in the last week of April 2023, an ECP spokesperson said on Wednesday, pinning the holdup on delaying tactics.
\nQuoting the minutes of a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, to review the Punjab local elections schedule, the spokesman said a consensus to this effect was reached after detailed consultations.
\nAccording to the spokesperson, the meeting was informed that local government laws were changed twice due to which the ECP had to conduct the demarcation of local constituencies twice.
\nThe term of the Punjab local bodies expired on January 1, 2022.
\nHe said the provincial government notified Punjab Local Government Act on November 16, 2022, and as per the new law, the ECP would have to delimit the constituencies for the third time.
\nMoreover, the Punjab government was yet to notify Punjab local government constituency rules and Punjab Local Government Conduct of Election Rules, the spokesperson added.
\n\u201cThe Punjab government is obliged to support [the ECP] in the light of the constitution, law, and orders of the Supreme Court,\u201d the spokesperson added.
\nThe ECP had either conducted or was about to conduct local elections in all provinces, the spokesperson said quoting the CEC. \u201cOnly Punjab remains where the laws have been changed during different periods,\u201d the CEC said chairing the meeting.
\nThe CEC also said elections could not be held only in Punjab because of delaying tactics. He did not mention who was dragging their feet on the local polls.
\nThe spokesman said the government of Punjab should provide copies of ECP Rules and other data to the provincial commission of Punjab.
\n\u201cIf any changes are made in the local government laws, the ECP will conduct the local polls in Punjab using its constitutional powers,\u201d the spokesperson said.
\nAccording to the ECP spokesperson, Chief Secretary Punjab asked the ECP that before scheduling the local polls, it should be remembered that the holy month of Ramadan might coincide with the local elections in late April.
\n\u201cFor that reason, the ECP should decide an appropriate date,\u201d the spokesperson quoted Chief Secretary Punjab as saying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to hold local government polls in Punjab in the last week of April 2023, an ECP spokesperson said on Wednesday, pinning the holdup on delaying tactics. Quoting the minutes of a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, to review the Punjab local […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-298473","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n