ECP to hold local polls in Punjab, KP in phases, SC informed

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday submitted dates for local government elections in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Cantonment Boards in the Supreme Court, ARY News reported.

The election commission in its reply to the apex court informed that the local government elections in Punjab will be held in three phases, while the first phase of the local council polls will be held on June 20, in the second phase on July 16 and in the third phase on August 08.

The schedule for Punjab local council poll will also be announced in phases, the ECP said.

The ECP further said that the polling for local council election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be held in two phases, the first phase elections in the province will be held on April 08 and the second phase of election will be held on May 29.

The schedule of the first phase of the polls will be announced on February 12, while the next phase on March 25, the election commission said.

Moreover, the Cantonment Boards’ elections will also be held on April 08 and May 29, the ECP said.

“The election commission held two sessions over the instructions of the supreme court to consider over the local government elections in the provinces, Islamabad and the cantonment boards,” the ECP said in its reply to the court. “The minutes of the meetings have also been submitted to the court”.

“The matter of local council elections in Sindh and Balochistan have been postponed till February 11 meeting,” the election commission said.

It is to be mentioned here that the Supreme Court had earlier ordered the ECP to submit the progress report over the matter in the court.

The supreme court had also ordered the election commission to submit deliberations of its sessions with regard to the local government elections.