ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday ordered local government (LG) elections to be held immediately in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts where delimitation had been completed, excluding those included in the 12 districts with special emergency measures.

A day earlier, the ECP had reserved the verdict after hearing the provincial government’s request to defer local government elections, citing law and order, the imposition of emergency and deployment of troops under Article 245.

The federal government on Oct 11 imposed emergency in KP and placed the province under governor’s rule, taking note of the “provincial government’s deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism”.

In its order, issued on Wednesday and seen by Dawn, the ECP directed its office to submit the election programme for its approval in respect of districts where the delimitation process had been completed.

The bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising members Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana and retired Justice Ikramullah Khan heard the case.

The electoral watchdog issued orders for KP districts, excluding 12 which were deemed to face intense security challenges and an Area Representative and Development Council (ARDC) was formed to oversee them under emergency measures.

In its order, the ECP directed its office to “submit the election programme for the commission’s approval in respect of districts in which the delimitation process has been completed”, excluding Bannu, Mohmand, Orakzai, Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan specified in the federal government’s order dated Oct 11.

The ECP also sought the issuance of the delimitation schedules for the remaining districts, excluding Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Lower South Waziristan and Upper South Waziristan.

It issued the directives under Articles 218(3) (Election Commission), 140A(2) (local government), 219(d) (duties of ECP), 220 (executive authorities to assist ECP) and 222 (electoral laws) of the Constitution, read with Sections 219 (ECP to conduct elections) and 221 (delimitation of LG constituencies) of the Elections Act 2017, and “all other enabling provisions of law”.

The order further directed the ECP’s office to adjust and determine the number of village councils/neighbourhood councils and category-wise reserved seats in respect of each tehsil council in seven districts, ie, Karak, Hangu, Swat, Bar Swat, Battagram, Paharpur and Allai as per current revenue limits in accordance with separate order of the commission of even date to ensure timely conduct of LG elections and delimitation in the districts other than designated districts.

The local government elections in KP have remained pending since the terms of existing local bodies expired — the first phase in March 2026 and the second phase in June 2026.

In July this year, the KP government had assured the ECP of “all possible support” in holding LG polls where delimitation was complete. Later, the ECP had opposed a key amendment in KP’s local government law regarding the population of village and neighbourhood councils, terming it a delaying tactic.