RAWALPINDI: The elected cantonment boards across the country were dissolved after they completed their four-year tenure and the Military Lands and Cantonments (ML&Cs) have sought names of civilian members from their regional directors for caretaker setups by Nov 26 (Wednesday).

A senior official of Military Lands and Cantonments told Dawn after the dissolution of cantonment boards, caretaker cantonment boards will run the affairs of the civic bodies across the country.

He said that the military lands and cantonment had asked all regional directors and station commanders across the country to forward one civilian and one officer of armed forces respectively under Section 191(2) of the Cantonments (Amendment) Act 2023 by November 26 (Wednesday) for caretaker setup.

The caretaker cantonment board will consist of one civilian member and one member from armed forces and it will be led by the cantonment board president who is station commander of the respective area.

ML&Cs have sought names of civilian members from their regional directors for caretaker setups

The military lands and cantonments also issued letter to the regional directors and all the cantonment boards to nominate the civilian member.

The cantonment executive officer will recommend the civilian member’s name to regional director and after approval the caretaker cantonment boards will be formed.

“The elected members shall cease to hold office of members of cantonment Boards forthwith on completion of four years from the date of their respective oath as per section 191(1) of Cantonment (Amendment) Act 2023 and shall not participate in any proceedings of the board,” said a letter of Military and Cantonment Boards to elected members on Tuesday.

The local government elections in cantonment boards across the country were held in September 12, 2021. It made it clear that the civil member so nominated shall not be a candidate in the upcoming cantonment Boards elections.

A senior official of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) told Dawn that after getting letter issued by Military Lands and Cantonment, the members had been informed and started consultation to send names of the civilian member for caretaker cantonment board while Station Commander will nominate the name of officer of armed forces for the board.

Former Vice President Chaklala Cantonment Board Raja Irfan Imtiaz said that the elected members had been informed about the dissolution of the boards while citing completion of tenure.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2025