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The Election Commission of Pakistan has agreed in principle to hold long-delayed local government elections in Punjab between December 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. The decision was reached during an ECP meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Thursday. The meeting was held to discuss the proposed schedule and preparations for local polls in the province. A Punjab government delegation attended the meeting. The delegation included Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq, Mines and Minerals Minister Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, Agriculture Minister Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah and Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat. The Punjab chief secretary and senior local government officials were also present. The ECP was informed that the delimitation process for Punjab had been completed, clearing an important hurdle in preparations for the elections. Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja stressed that elected local governments are a constitutional requirement under Article 140-A. He also pointed out that election authorities are legally required to conduct local government elections within the prescribed period after the expiry of elected local bodies. Punjab officials said the provincial government needed sufficient time to complete administrative preparations, arrange financial resources and deploy staff for the electoral process. The provincial government proposed the December 15 to January 15 window as the most suitable period for polling. Officials said school examinations would have concluded by then, allowing educational staff to be available for election duties. The government also cited weather conditions as a factor. Holding the elections during the proposed period could help avoid difficulties associated with heavy fog during other parts of the winter season. Punjab authorities further informed the ECP that they preferred conducting the elections in phases. Officials said phased polling would allow better security arrangements and make it easier for the administration to manage the large-scale electoral exercise. The ECP accepted the proposed timeframe in principle and directed the Punjab government to submit a detailed plan promptly if it wanted the elections to be conducted in multiple phases. The commission said the proposed arrangements could help move the province toward fulfilling its constitutional obligation of establishing elected local governments. The Punjab government has already allocated Rs12.52 billion for the local elections. It has also approved the recruitment of 900 Union Council secretaries to support the functioning of local bodies. Punjab has not held local government elections since 2015. The previous polls were conducted in several phases between October and December that year. The elected local councils began functioning in 2017 after mayors and chairpersons were selected through indirect elections. The local governments were dissolved in April 2019 by the then Punjab government before completing their full term. The Supreme Court subsequently ordered their restoration, and the councils eventually completed their tenure on December 31, 2021. Since then, local government elections have remained pending amid repeated changes to Punjab’s local government laws. Successive provincial administrations amended or replaced the relevant legislation, forcing the ECP to repeatedly revise its preparations and carry out fresh delimitation exercises.

Multan Commissioner Aamir Karim Khan has said the Punjab government is taking a keen interest in the development of Multan and other parts of southern Punjab, stressing that the government, administration, business community and journalists must work together to address public issues and promote regional development. He made these remarks while speaking to journalists during a session titled “Guftagu” at the Multan Press Club. He also responded to questions regarding development projects, civic problems and other issues faced by citizens. The commissioner said the responsibility of government officers was not limited to sitting in offices. Officials must visit the field, assess public problems and take practical steps to resolve them. He said public service required officials to move beyond their comfort zones and remain connected with citizens. Aamir Karim Khan appreciated the Punjab government’s focus on Multan and southern Punjab, saying several major development projects were currently underway in the city. He stressed that timely availability of funds, proper engineering designs and other technical requirements were essential for completing development schemes. He said major sewerage projects in Multan were particularly important for the city and would provide significant relief to residents once completed. Work was also continuing on several major roads and development schemes, although some projects had faced delays because of land acquisition and other legal and administrative procedures. The commissioner said projects in areas including Eidgah Road and Shah Shams Park were being completed in phases. He added that a proposal worth around Rs6 billion had been sent to the Punjab government for improving roads from Delhi Gate to Daulat Gate and removing encroachments. Work on the project would begin once funds were made available. He said the preservation of Multan’s historic heritage, improvement of ancient gates and beautification of the city were among the administration’s priorities, along with the provision of basic civic facilities. He said action against encroachments on graveyards was continuing. Encroachments had been removed from a graveyard in Hassan Parwana, while similar operations would be carried out at other graveyards. The administration was also considering the renovation of smaller graveyards and provision of basic facilities there. The commissioner said a “Multan Enforcement Management Squad” had been established to tackle encroachments. The squad comprises officials from different departments and has been provided with motorcycles. It will monitor the city around the clock and identify encroachments. Its formal operations will begin on September 1. If the initiative proves successful, it will be expanded to other areas. Speaking about special education, Aamir Karim Khan said nearly 3,000 hearing-impaired children had been screened across 14 tehsils of the Multan Division. Around 320 children were identified as requiring hearing devices. With support from the business community, hearing aids had already been provided to 175 children. He said efforts were also underway to improve the speaking abilities of these children. The commissioner added that the Punjab government had been requested to introduce legislation making hearing screening mandatory for every child within six months of birth. Early diagnosis, he said, could significantly improve children’s education and future prospects. Regarding Jalalpur Public School, the commissioner said authorities had taken notice of the low number of students and were working with relevant departments to improve its functioning. He said the Punjab government was also working on a new public-private partnership scheme under which inactive government schools could be handed over to the private sector for better management. Aamir Karim Khan highlighted the important role of journalists in resolving civic problems. He urged journalists to use their observation, reporting and writing skills to identify public issues and contribute to social improvement. He said constructive criticism and highlighting genuine problems could help guide the administration. He also said direct communication with journalists would be strengthened so their concerns could be addressed more effectively. On cleanliness, the commissioner said maintaining a clean environment was a shared responsibility of the government and citizens. He urged shopkeepers to keep areas outside their businesses clean and residents to ensure cleanliness around their homes. During the meeting, Press Club President Shakeel Anjum briefed the commissioner about issues faced by the journalist community, particularly problems concerning the journalists’ colony. He stressed the need for their early resolution. The commissioner assured the journalists that he would contact the Director General of the Multan Development Authority regarding the issues and take steps for further progress. He said genuine concerns of the journalist community would be addressed on a priority basis. Aamir Karim Khan also answered journalists’ questions on various issues and assured them that practical measures would be taken to resolve public problems. He said the development of Multan was a collective responsibility and all stakeholders would have to work together to achieve this goal.