AFTER multiple failed attempts in recent years, the Election Commission of Pakistan has once again set in motion the process of holding long-overdue local government elections in Punjab. However, the delimitation schedule does not inspire much hope for early local polls in a province that has effectively been without elected local representation since 2019. After all, the delimitation of constituencies, though a legal prerequisite for conducting polls, does not guarantee elections. The recent history of repeated delays suggests that completing this exercise by Aug 10, as envisaged by the ECP, will not automatically lead to an eventual vote. As in other provinces, Punjab’s LG landscape is shaped by political considerations of the ruling party, with each step vulnerable to reversal regardless of constitutional timelines.

Under Article 140-A of the Constitution, elected LGs are meant to function as the third tier of governance, while the Elections Act binds the ECP to conduct polls within a defined time frame after the expiry of local bodies. This provision has repeatedly been ignored and avoided in Punjab in recent years. Since the dissolution of LGs in 2019 and the expiry of their restored tenure in December 2021, the province has seen a succession of legal and procedural resets, each meant to delay the polls. The ECP had last pushed for elections in late 2025, only to roll back its own schedule after the provincial government introduced a new legal framework. This underscores a deeper institutional constraint: while the ECP is constitutionally mandated to conduct elections, it remains dependent on provincial governments for the legal framework under which those polls are held. That dependency has repeatedly allowed the provincial executive to dictate the pace of the process. Political considerations appear central to any decision related to the existence of LGs. The ruling PML-N in Punjab has shown little inclination to devolve power to the local tier. Delays, often justified on technical grounds, such as new legislation or revised delimitation rules, have effectively served as tools to postpone a politically uncertain contest. There is, therefore, little reason to assume that the current delimitation exercise will necessarily result in early polls. New administrative and legal obstacles can emerge if the prevailing conditions are not deemed favourable for the ruling party’s electoral prospects. Until political will aligns with constitutional provisions, establishing LGs in Punjab will remain an elusive exercise.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2026