LAHORE, June 27: Election schedule will be announced before July 10 after dissolving local councils as required under the law, sources in the Election Commission and local bodies department say. Caretakers will be appointed immediately after dissolution of the councils to run their day-to-day affairs by replacing the incumbent mazims, they say.

The holding of polls will, however, be delayed by a couple of months “due to severe weather,” they add.

The polls process, from issue of notice inviting nominations to declaration of results, requires at least 45 days but there is no limit on maximum timeframe for the exercise, officials say.

The chief election commissioner may even hold in abeyance the polls schedule for any period of time after announcing it, citing reasons which, in his opinion, may in anyway affect smooth holding of the exercise, they add.

Sources in the ruling PML say that the schedule is being given to “facilitate” the government appoint caretakers of the councils replacing nazims most of whom have formed panels for the forthcoming polls on their own and are trying to dictate the ruling party on the issue.

For clipping their wings further, the slogan of accountability before polls has already been drummed up.